


Tales of Ursalia

by cakelesspixels



Category: Gummi Bears (TV)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-16
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-01-08 22:58:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 37,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1138440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cakelesspixels/pseuds/cakelesspixels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tales of Ursalia is an anthology series that takes place after the events of the final episode.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Witches of New Gumbrea

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter is actually a separate fanfic I already put on ff.net with the same title. I just decided to cram it into the Tales of Ursalia story as one giant chapter.

Life in Ursalia would never be like it was in Gummi Glen. They knew that it would take everyone time to adjust to the changes. Fortunately, there had been so much going on in the gummi capital that it gave the Glens very little time to dwell. Before the Great Gummis arrived, they were wrapped up in sprucing up old buildings and homes. Completely restoring the city wasn’t a job the Glen Gummis and Barbics could do alone; the Great Gummis had brought a team of carpenters, landscapers and others that worked tirelessly on repairs.

After weeks of working on city buildings, the Glen Gummis were given the chance to focus on restoring their new home. It was a spacious, three-story house that was within close distance to the front gates.The Glens had applied a fresh coat of cream colored paint and replaced the old shutters with new wood; Grammi insisted they be made from oak. There was still plenty of work to do, but it was beginning to look like home.

The kitchen had been the first area to clean out. Grammi had set to work on it the first day they arrived and made sure it was exactly how she wanted it. The cupboards had been the worst part of the job, she remembered. With everything in its place, she was free to complete her first task of the day. On the old brick stove, the one that Gruffi had repaired nearly a week ago, a grey substance bubbled in a large pot. She had been about to set the table when a large crash from the living room startled her. Panicked, she hurried out of the kitchen. Racing through her mind were all the possible sources of the noise. The majority of these horrific visions involved a severely injured gummi needing help somewhere in the house. Her fears were confirmed when she reached the living room. Gruffi was sprawled out on the floor next to his fallen ladder. Next to him, two large paint cans were lying on the ground with paint splattered all over the walls and floor.

“Land o’Goshen,” Grammi gasped. “Gruffi! What happened in here?”

Gruffi groaned a bit as Grammi helped him to his feet. “This darn thing gave right out from under me.”

“Gruffi, I swear,” she sighed. “If you don’t just get a new one, you’re going to end up breaking your neck.”

Gruffi grimaced at a twinge of pain in his knee. It had taken the brunt of the fall and he was sure the blood was pooling beneath the skin for an unsightly bruise. His pride was very grateful that his fur would keep it as secret only he and his body would know.

“Is everything okay in here? I thought I heard a crash.” Gruffi and Grammi turned to see Gusto standing in the doorway. There had been a look of concern on the younger bears face, but it gave way to a mischievous grin when he saw the current state of the living room.

“Nice redecorating, Gruffamundo,” he said. “Not exactly my style, but I’ve never been one to crush someone else’s artistic flair.”

“You!” Gruffi pointed at Gusto accusingly. “You were supposed to be helping me! Where have you been all morning?”

Gusto smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, Gruffers, I was upstairs with the kids. They asked for some help clearing out some old furniture and I guess the time got away from me.”

“Well, so long as you were making yourself useful.” Gruffi began to dust himself off.

“How about both of you take a break and come get some breakfast?” Grammi offered. “You can clean all this up after you get a good meal in you.”

“Good meal?” Gruffi repeated. “I take it that means someone else cooked it?”

Grammi glared at him, placing her hands on her hips. “Maybe someone else could have if we weren’t so short on help around here.”

“Are you implying what I think you’re implying?”

Gruffi’s question went unanswered as Grammi retreated to the kitchen with a pleased smirk. Gruffi glanced at Gusto who could only shrug before following Grammi. Gruffi gave an annoyed sigh, but when the others had left he smiled a bit. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. It was refreshing.

Gruffi wasn’t surprised to see Tummi had already situated himself in the kitchen. It seemed that it was impossible to beat the teenager to the dining table around meal time. The kitchen was a touch smaller than the one they had in Gummi Glen, but there was a walk-in pantry. The house lacked a dining room, but in its place was an eat-in kitchen that all seven gummis could comfortably fit around. While Gusto lived in his own home not too far off, he did come to the Glen home more frequently than before. Grammi had already returned to the pot on the stove to start serving it to the others while Gusto made himself comfortable next to Tummi. The two didn’t share the same interests, but Gruffi noticed Tummi still flocked to the more artistic bear. In the past, it had been desperation for a bear closer to his own age; now it was a genuine friendship that brought them together regularly.

After Gruffi found his seat, Sunni and Cubbi burst into the room. The bear cubs were nearly bouncing off the walls with energy.

“Alright, you two, settle down,” Gruffi scolded.

“Let them have their fun, Gruffamundo,” Gusto said. “It’s been a rough couple of weeks for them. They need a chance to let off some steam.”

“They can let off steam working on their rooms after breakfast.”

“We’re sorry, Gruffi,” Cubbi apologized. The two began to settle down, Cubbi sitting across from Tummi. Sunni made sure to secure the seat next to Gusto.

“Yeah,” Sunni added. “We weren’t trying to cause trouble.”

Gruffi’s face softened. While it’d been difficult for everyone, the youngest of the Glen had it the roughest. They were still young while everything they had ever known was being uprooted in the blink of an eye. After a second, Gruffi caught himself and gave a shake of his head.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Just settle down now, alright?”

The cubs nodded while Grammi began to serve breakfast. The Glens gave the gray concoction an uneasy look. Tummi was the only one who didn’t hesitate, savoring every bite. The others would never truly understand Tummi's love for Grammi's cooking, but it certainly pleased Grammi. Cubbi was the second to take the plunge, noting that it had a taffy-like consistency whenever he tried to bring it up to his mouth.

“What is this stuff?” Cubbi asked.

“It’s sneezewort porridge,” Grammi replied. “I was lucky enough to find some sneezewort yarrow just outside Ursalia.”

“Right,” Cubbi grumbled under his breath. “Lucky.”

“Where’s Zummi?” Luckily for Cubbi, Grammi missed his commentary. The older woman's focus was on the missing wizard.

“I think he was sleeping in this morning,” Tummi said. “He’s been real tired since the move.”

“The poor thing,” Grammi sighed. “Sunni, dear, would you be a darling and take his breakfast up to him after you finish eating? And remind him that he and Gruffi are meeting with the Chancellor today.”

“Sure, Grammi,” Sunni agreed. “Oh, Grammi, I was wondering if I could go over to Kaia’s today.”

“Kaia?” Grammi tried to think if she was familiar with the name.

“Yeah, she’s the gummi I’ve been telling you about!” Sunni explained. “She’s offered to give me some voice lessons and I wanted to get started today.”

Gruffi shook his head. “Sunni, we still have a lot that needs to get done around here.”

“Gruffarino, it can wait a few hours,” Gusto said. “Humans might be alright with it, but gummis still adhere to child labor laws, you know?”

“Gusto’s right,” Grammi added. “A few hours of unwinding can’t hurt. The kids could use it after all they’ve been through. Working them to the bone certainly won’t help.”

Gruffi hesitated, but the pleading look on Sunni’s face caused him to crack. “Alright,” he crossed his arms. “So long as you’re going over there to learn something and not to play.”

“Yay!” Sunni exclaimed. She rose to her feet to give Gruffi a hug. “Thank you, Gruffi!”

“Just be back by two, got it?”

“Got it!” Sunni pulled back from the hug with a smile. “Thank you so much!”

“Now sit and eat,” Grammi cut in. “You’ll need your strength for such a busy day.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sunni said. She found her way back to her seat to look down at her goopy breakfast and wrinkled her nose. The group fought through the unappetizing taste to empty their bowls; Tummi being the only one to ask for seconds and thirds. After finishing her meal, Sunni took a bowl up to Zummi’s room on the second floor. The floor boards shifted under her weight. Gruffi had promised to eventually fix the obnoxiously loud creaking sounds, but hadn't found the time yet. The wall of the staircase was lined with paintings of gummis Sunni couldn't identify. It surprised her how homesick she felt for the sight of paintings she knew the whole boring history for. Zummi had incorporated the paintings and sculptures around Gummi Glen in his teaching lectures often. When asked about these, Zummi admitted he didn't know much about them. Sunni was surprised by how utterly disappointed his answer had made her feel.

Inside his room, Zummi had been lying awake with his eyes glued to the ceiling. He was surrounded by books salvaged from the Glen’s library and spells littered the floor. It wasn’t as tidy as his room in the Glen, but his room had also become a mini-library of sorts. He didn’t have the heart to hand over all the books over to the Ursalia library. There were many that felt very personal to him that he wanted kept in his private collection.

It was the sound of knocking at the door that encouraged him to sit up, reaching over to the nightstand for his glasses. “Come in.”

“Zummi?” Sunni poked her head inside before entering the room. “I brought you some breakfast.”

“Thank you, Sunni,” he smiled. “That’s very kind. I guess I haven’t been able to drag myself out of bed yet.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” he reassured her. “I’m just a bit tired.”

“Grammi wanted me to remind you that you have a meeting with the Chancellor today, too.”

“Right, I almost forgot about that.”

“Can I get you anything else?”

“No, no, I’m alright,” he shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Okay,” she placed the porridge on the nightstand. “But if you need anything, just ask.”

She leaned over to kiss his cheek, eliciting a warm smile from Zummi.

“Thank you, Sunni,” he said as he watched her retreat from the room. “I’ll remember that.”

Once Sunni was gone, he looked over to his breakfast. He prodded it gently with his spoon before sticking his tongue out in disgust. Eating it was an all-out war with his body from his taste buds to the anxiety in the pit of his stomach. Seeing the Great Gummis return had been a dream come true for Zummi that shifted into something of a nightmare. Each day that passed, he waited for them to blame him for what happened the day Igthorn attacked. He had been reassured that they saw no reason to place blame on him, but his fear grew more and more each day as did his guilt.

His stomach could only handle a few spoonfuls before he gave up. “I think today isn’t going to be my day.”

\-------

After breakfast, Sunni made a beeline for Kaia’s house. When the Great Gummis returned, they had brought stories of their own adventures and gummis they'd met along the way. Kaia had been one to join them from Palulupea, a gummi colony by the Hawaiian Islands. The first thing Sunni noted was that the walls of Kaia's home were covered with traditional artwork from Palulupea; all of them reminders of her Palulupea roots. The interior decor was simple. Earthy tones dominated the space while there were splashes of bright color throughout the room. In the corner, there sat another reminder of Palulupea in the form of a ukulele resting on a chair. Sunni had yet to hear her play it, but made a mental note in the back of her mind to ask later.

Sunni had never anticipated striking up a friendship with the other bear until they found common ground through singing. Kaia was closer to Gusto and Tummi’s age, but Sunni felt this made her the perfect mentor. She’d had more time to hone her craft in a community that had singers to give her tips and training. Determined to impress her new teacher, Sunni worked to stay on key as Kaia played the clavichord that was pressed up against the wall of the dining room.

“Remember,” Kaia said. “Don’t put so much stress on your throat.”

Kaia's words reminded her to sing from the diaphragm and she noticed an immediate shift in the sound of her voice. Kaia continued playing the old gummi lullaby while Sunni sang. The older gummi was attractive. Her fur was a light brown while her wavy hair was a darker shade of brown; it reached past her shoulders. The clothing she wore was different from what Sunni was used to and reflected the clothing that she assumed one would see on Palulupea. Around Kaia's neck was a lei made of small seashells while her outfits were always bright blues, pinks, greens and yellows. 

“I think that’s enough for today,” Kaia said when the song came to a close. “You should be fine as long as you remember to practice your scales at home.”

“Thanks,” Sunni smiled. “Say, Kaia? Do you think if I get really good it’d get Gusto to notice me?”

Kaia hesitated, gathering up the music sheets to hand over to Sunni. “I can’t say anything about that, kiddo,” she said. “But I will tell you one thing. You shouldn’t worry about if what you’re doing will impress a guy. It should be because you love it.”

“I do love singing!” Sunni held the music sheets to her chest. “I just thought maybe if Gusto could see how much I love it and how good I am at it, he’d notice me.”

“Sunni,” Kaia spoke to her gently. “If a guy is really worth your time, he’ll appreciate what you’re passionate about because you’re passionate about it. It won’t be about how good you are at it.”

Sunni began to speak, but Kaia continued. “When I was your age, someone once told me that boys come and go, but you always have to live with yourself. And they were right, which is why you should focus on you first. If a guy is right for you, he’ll like you for what you’ve created for yourself and not what you created just to impress him.”

Sunni sighed. This speech wasn’t all that different from the ones Grammi gave her. She was beginning to wonder if all adults were required to give this speech and if one day the torch of annoying young girls in love would be passed to her. Sunni perked up when something across the room caught her eye.

“Oh wow,” she gasped. “These flowers are beautiful. What are they?”

She approached a pot sitting in the bay window filled with a type of flower she’d never seen before. They varied in color from purple to pink with glossy green leaves; the fragrance was strong and sweet and not much like anything she was used to. She tried to think if she had seen one in any of the books Zummi had given her over the years.

“You like them?” Kaia asked. “They’re hibiscus flowers. I’m not much of a gardener, but these are my favorites. They don’t really grow around here.”

Kaia plucked a pink one to place behind Sunni’s right ear. She fiddled with it a second to make sure it would stay in place. “There. How’s that?”

Sunni hurried over to the mirror on the wall to look herself over. The simple touch made her feel more like a lady. She could hear Kaia chuckle behind her when she struck a few poses to model her new accessory.

“This is great, Kaia,” Sunni said. “I look like I just stepped off Palulupea! What is it Hawai’ian humans say about the flower again? If you’re single it goes behind your right ear?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Kaia confirmed. “It’s a Palulupea tradition too. Left ear is if you’re taken.”

“It’s a human and gummi tradition?”

“Well, I’m not usually fond of saying humans stole gummi traditions,” she began, “but they totally stole it from us.”

Sunni giggled as Kaia ruffled her hair a bit. After the Glens had lost so much, Sunni was relieved to find another gummi who could understand how she felt about leaving home. Kaia’s situation wasn’t the same, but it had been close enough that Sunni felt like she had someone to talk to. To her surprise, it was much easier talking to people outside of her family about this sort of thing.

“Having these flowers around made the homesickness a little easier,” Kaia explained.

“Why did you leave Palulupea?” Sunni asked. “You obviously miss it a lot.”

“Oh, it’s a boring story, I promise you.” Kaia leaned against the wall. “Adults do a lot of weird things that don’t make sense on the surface. You’ll understand someday.”

“I’m not that young.”

“You’re young enough.” Kaia pushed herself upright again. “How about I make us some lunch? You’ve got time before I gotta get you home.”

“Sure!” Sunni could never say aloud she looked forward to a meal cooked by someone other than Grammi. “Oh! Maybe later I can introduce you to everyone else afterward. I know Grammi would love to meet you.”

Sunni took Kaia by the hand to lead her into the kitchen. With a delighted sigh, she added in a dreamy tone, “And I can introduce you to Gusto.”  
Kaia gave a gentle laugh. “I’d like that.”

While Kaia and Sunni enjoyed lunch together, Gruffi and Zummi had their own problems to contend with. They sat before the council in Ursalia’s city hall. The building was no longer overrun with vines and weeds; the plant life had been subdued and several painters had set to work on giving it a fresh coat of paint. Even as they sat inside the meeting room, they could still hear the sounds of hammering and the cutting of wood. They sat before Chancellor Berrybaum, an older bear with pale yellow fur. He stroked his beard as he listened to the Vice Chancellor speak. Vice Chancellor Ours sat to the Chancellor’s left with Zummi on the other side of him. Ours had more girth to his waistline; his blue fur standing out in contrast to his immaculate white robes.

On the Chancellor’s right sat Gruffi with a very bored Lady Bloodberry, the council’s sorcery adviser, beside him. True to her name, Lady Bloodberry’s fur was blood red while her jet black hair was pulled into a braid. The meeting had been carrying on for hours and stomachs were beginning to rumble from hunger.

The Vice Chancellor cleared his throat. “It’s your belief that –in spite of this Duke Igthorn and Lady Bane knowing Ursalia’s whereabouts– we are safe here?”

“Yes, Vice Chancellor,” Zummi said. He tried to hide any trace of nervousness from his voice. “Especially with Duke Igthorn defeated, I don’t think he’ll pose much of a threat.”

“Is he alive?” Lady Bloodberry questioned.

“Alive?” Zummi adjusted his glasses. “Well, yes, he–”

“Then he is still a threat,” she corrected. “An enemy is always a threat until their dying breath.”

“I hate to say it, but she’s right, Zummi,” Gruffi said. “But despite that, we’re safe here. We’ve fought them off with just us Glen Gummis and the Barbics before.”

Chancellor Berrybaum nodded. “Vice Chancellor Ours, I believe if such a small group can handle them alone, they don’t stand a chance against all of us.”

“Of course, Chancellor,” Ours bowed his head.

“Lady Bloodberry,” the Chancellor turned to address her. “Do you still have your concerns?”

“I was never concerned, Chancellor,” she said. “We are talking about humans. They’re not a particularly dangerous threat even with ogres or troggles. If anything, working with ogres makes them all the more useless.”

“Then what was all that talk about him being a threat until his dying breath?” Gruffi asked.

“Gruffi,” she sighed. “There is only one way for us gummis to ever be defeated by outsiders. And that’s when we begin to underestimate them. You should already know that.”

“I–”

Gruffi was cut off by Chancellor Berrybaum clearing his throat. “If that’s settled, perhaps we should move onto the main discussion for today.”

Lady Bloodberry sighed. “Of course, Chancellor.”

The Chancellor turned his focus onto Zummi. “Zummi, you were suggesting we begin an alliance with the humans?”

“Ally with humans?” Ours interrupted. “So soon? Are you getting ahead of yourself again, old man?”

Zummi felt his heart sink into his stomach at the reminder. He momentarily braced himself for a barrage of insults for having called them home too soon. His nerves returned to him when he realized that no one else had anything to say, including Lady Bloodberry.

“I don’t mean we reveal ourselves to all humans,” Zummi clarified. “Not right away, that is.”

“So you had a specific ally in mind?” The Chancellor asked.

“Yes,” Zummi nodded, “King Gregor of Dunwyn. I believe he would make a very valuable ally. We’ve already befriended his daughter, Princess Calla.”

“No,” Lady Bloodberry’s tone was harsh. “Forming any kind of alliance with the humans would be a mistake.”

“Lady Bloodberry, please,” Zummi pleaded. “King Gregor is a mood gan – a good man. He cares about his subjects more so than any other king I’ve seen in all my years. I know he would respect us.”

“I don’t care about that,” she replied. “We don’t need them at all. Putting so much effort into befriending them would be a waste of our time.”

“But they could help protect us and it could eventually lead to us coming out of hiding,” Zummi said.

“We don’t need their protection,” Lady Bloodberry stressed. “If anything, they would need ours. Constantly. We'd be playing babysitter to them just as our ancestors did and for what? To be able to prance around their cities without a care? We don't need that! We have our own cities. You can have your weird little human friends visit all you want, but we don't need them for protection.”

Once again, the Chancellor cleared his throat. “I believe that it would be in our best interest to ally with the humans.”

Lady Bloodberry was incredulous. “You can’t be serious.”

“Enough!” Berrybaum said sternly. “While our relationship with the nearby humans is important, we have far more pressing matters to attend to now. We need to be focusing on building a future for ourselves here in Ursalia. We will worry about this alliance in time. First, we must make Ursalia strong again.”

Gruffi smirked as he looked over to Lady Bloodberry. “I couldn’t have said it better myself, Chancellor.”

“With that said,” he continued. “I believe we can call this meeting adjourned. The council and I have much to discuss in private.”

“Of course, Chancellor,” Zummi said. “Thank you for seeing us today.”

“And I thank you two for your hard work and dedication,” Berrybaum smiled. “But for now, I suggest you worry yourselves with the rebuilding of Ursalia. We will worry about the politics for now.”

“Yes, Chancellor.” Gruffi was uncharacteristically humble before the Chancellor. “Thank you.”

There was a sense of relief Zummi felt as he and Gruffi exited the city hall. He feared that the council would no longer take him seriously after suggesting they ally with King Gregor. During the night, he had envisioned the sort of mockery he might face. His heart had begun to race when Lady Bloodberry argued against his proposal, but it was reassuring to have the Chancellor on his side.

“You okay?” Gruffi’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Huh? Oh, yes, Gruffi, I’m fine.” He removed his glasses briefly to clean them. “I’ll meet you back at the Glen…”

The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them. Gruffi took the pained expression on Zummi’s face as a signal to not comment on the slip up.

“I mean,” Zummi collected his thoughts. “I’ll meet you back at the house. I have a few things I need to do.”

“Alright,” Gruffi agreed. “Don’t be gone too long.”

“I won’t, Gruffi.”

The warning lacked Gruffi’s usual impatience. Since arriving in Ursalia, Gruffi had been a bit gentler in his discussions with Zummi. On the one hand, Zummi appreciated the care, but on the other he disliked being treated as though he would snap at any given moment. He watched as Gruffi headed back toward their new home and he had to wonder if maybe he would snap under intense pressure. Gruffi could have been reading him better than he was reading himself. The very thought of that scared him. After everything that had been happening the past few weeks, the last thing Zummi needed was to lose sight of himself.

Zummi hoped that a walk through Ursalia would help clear his head. He kept his head low, occasionally glancing up to watch the new gummis around him. They did bring some comfort to him, but not quite enough. He paused when he reached Ursalia’s schoolhouse. It was quite sizable with a number of rooms on each of the four floors. Zummi watched as a crew worked to clean up both the outside and inside of the building. Some of the furniture was set outside the school’s main doors waiting to be repaired or cleaned.

Watching them, he noticed most of them were answering to a female gummi who was overseeing the process. She was a few inches shorter than he was and her fur was light pink; her dark pink hair was kept in a messy bun. The violet dress she wore was stained with dirt and soot. There was even a small soot mark on her cheek.

She smiled as she finished cleaning up one of the desks. “Grande! We should have this place ready for the children in no time.”

Zummi wasn’t sure if it would be wise to approach while she was so busy, but his curiosity got the best of him. He inched closer until he stood only a few feet away from her.

“Getting the old school house ready?” He said. It may not have been the most exciting introduction, but it was a start, he told himself.

“Yes, we want it to be fully functional when the children arrive.” He recognized her accent as Italian. She held her hand out to him in greeting. “Hello, I’m Valentina. You are…?”

“Zummi Gummi,” he replied, shaking her hand.

“Ah, yes. You are a Glen Gummi, correct?”

“Yes, I am,” he replied. “You’re one of the teachers…?”

Valentina nodded. “I was the one to volunteer to come over first to help prepare the school. I thought it would need a teacher’s touch.”

“Of course,” Zummi smiled. “And no sense in everyone coming all at once if nothing is functional yet.”

“Very true,” she said. “But we’ll have everything up and running very shortly.”

Zummi had to admit that her good mood was infectious. “Teaching must be a fery vulfilling – very fulfilling career.”

“It is,” she agreed. She then motioned to his medallion. “It must be the same for being a gummi wizard.”

“Oh. Well, I suppose.”

“You suppose?”

“With everyone returning home, my skills aren’t really needed much.” It was like a mini-revelation saying it out loud. Zummi knew that there had been something else kicking up his anxiety that he couldn't quite place. It was slowly clicking into place what had been bothering him.

“And who says that?”

“You’ve brought powerful gummi wizards and witches with you,” he explained. “Their skills already surpass my own.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scoffed. “Just because you are not the only one doesn't mean you are useless to us. I am not the only teacher and I am still needed.”

“No offense, Valentina, but I don't know if the situations are comparable.”

“Of course they are,” she argued. “Someone out there will always be bigger and better than you no matter what you do. It is a fact of life. Instead of letting it get you down, you should just be the best you can be. And remember, whoever is better than you, they have someone who is better than them.”

“I don’t know if you could say that about Lady Bloodberry.”

“Lady Bloodberry,” Valentina laughed. “People only think she is the best because she acts like she is the best. Don't let her intimidate you. She enjoys that too much.”

“Thank you,” Zummi smiled. When he noticed a rag at his feet, he thought that another helping hand wouldn’t hurt. He began cleaning one of the other desks alongside her. “How long have you been teaching?”

“How long?” She thought for a moment. “Oh… about twenty-five years now. What about your two little ones? Who has been teaching them?”

“Well, Grammi was always in charge of teaching them about taking care of the household while Gruffi taught them about repairs.” He dipped his rag in a nearby bucket of water. “When it came to our history and magic, it was usually up to me.”

“What about reading, writing and mathematics?”

“Most of that fell to me,” Zummi answered. “Grammi would help with reading and writing, but I usually was in charge of lessons.”

Valentina smirked. “So you are not as useless as you paint yourself. Teacher and sorcerer.”

Valentina’s words stopped him dead in his tracks. “Maybe.” He’d never thought of himself as a teacher. He had known it was his job to help prepare the cubs for adulthood, but it never occurred to him to think of himself as a legitimate educator.

“Here,” Valentina said. “How about you keep helping me finish up these desks? It might help you clear your head.”

Zummi smiled. “Good idea.”

\-------

The scent of ragweed stew filled the Glen home as they gathered around the oak table. The sun was setting on the horizon and the citizens of Ursalia were settling into their homes for the night. Guards continued their patrols despite the feeling of security the city offered. Chancellor Berrybaum had felt it would be too dangerous to let their guard down for even a moment. Gusto had returned to his own lodgings for the evening while Zummi was elsewhere in the city. He'd spent most of the day with the gummis working on the old school house and only returned home to excuse himself from dinner; he felt he had much to discuss with the crew. Once supper was served, Grammi noted how empty the table looked with only five gummis sitting at it. In Zummi's absence, it was up to Gruffi to update the Glens on the outcome of the meeting. Grammi tried to focus on Gruffi rather than the empty chairs.

“Lady Bloodberry was the only strong opposition to the alliance,” Gruffi said. “The Chancellor seemed to go for it though.”

Sunni shivered. “That Lady Bloodberry sure gives me the creeps.”

“Sunni, don't talk about your elders that way,” Grammi said sternly. “We may not always agree with her, but she has a right to say what she feels.”

“Yeah, I know, Grammi, but I can't help it.”

“I can't say I blame her,” Gruffi said. “Lady Bloodberry might have a good point every once in a while, she's a grade A–”

“Gruffi.” Grammi warned.

Gruffi glanced at the cubs before he continued. “All I'm saying is she's not as smart as she thinks she is.”

“Why does she hate humans so much?” Cubbi wondered.

“I don't think it's about hating humans,” Gruffi answered. “I think it's about hating everyone who isn't a gummi.”

“That's so ignorant,” Sunni said.

“Well, to be fair to her, she’s never had to interact with humans before,” Grammi defended her. “I can see why she'd have a wrong idea or two.”

“I know!” Sunni’s face lit up. “Maybe if she got to meet Cavin and Calla she'd change her mind! The Chancellor said they were allowed to come here, right?”

“Yes, but I don't think Calla could make it all the way out here, pumpkin.” Grammi frowned. The disappointment on Sunni's face was hard to take. “You can try inviting her, sweetie, but just don't get your hopes up. At least not right now.”

“I don't see how you plan to get the invite to her anyway,” Gruffi said. “It's still too dangerous for us to try going into Dunwyn.”

“I was going to ask Artie Deco if he could go there for us,” Sunni explained. “He won't even have to hide! That's why I was going to ask if I could go over to Gusto's after dinner to talk to him.”

“As long as you come straight home after,” Grammi agreed. “I don't want you wandering around outside after dark for too long.”

“Yes, Grammi.” Sunni could hardly contain her excitement. So much so that she made Glen history that night; it was the first time someone had the chance to beat Tummi at finishing dinner first. She excused herself almost immediately after to hurry over to Gusto’s house.

The house Gusto had settled on was a ways off from most of the other homes on a side street that was easy to miss at first glance. Some of Gusto's old pottery sat just outside the door denoting to most passersby that it was the home of an artist. Living in Ursalia had given the gummis a sense of security, knowing that it was unlikely there would be many thieves amongst their own. The outside was painted bright vibrant colors to contrast it from the other homes. Gruffi had told the cubs not to get too used to the sight of his green home since he was sure the artist would get bored with the color eventually.

Sunni could tell from the lights inside that Gusto was home, but she could already see Artie perched on one of the window sills. Artie seemed to be taking full of advantage of the night breeze. Whenever the wind blew, he would close his eyes and enjoy the feeling of it ruffling his feathers. She remembered Gusto once mentioned Artie enjoyed being outside on cool summer nights. While she knew the two had spent 12 years in isolation together, it still amazed her how they knew one another inside and out. Sunni wasn't sure if the others had noticed, but Gusto and Artie were masters at communicating with very little words or just glances. There were times it seemed like there was a direct link between their brains. Meanwhile, she'd spent her whole life with Cubbi and even they didn't know nearly as much about each other.

“Artie,” she called for his attention. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Artie jumped with a squawk in surprise. It took him a second to regain his bearings, but once he did he gave her a smile. “Sure thing!” He gave his wings a flap. “What can I do you for?”

“I was wondering if you could do me a favor,” Sunni asked. “If it wasn’t too much trouble, that is. Cubbi and I wanted to invite Calla and Cavin to Ursalia so that the Great Gummis could meet them, but…”

“But it’s not safe for you to go to Dunwyn yourselves,” Artie finished for her.

Sunni nodded. “Yeah, which is why we hoped you could fly in.”

“Can do,” Artie agreed. “I'll fly out tomorrow after breakfast and be back before dinner.”

Sunni practically squealed with delight. “Thank you so much, Artie! I really appreciate this!”

Artie smiled. No one could ever say the bird didn’t enjoy making others happy. “Don’t mention it.”

“I have to go,” Sunni added. “I have to get back home or else Grammi will cream me. I’ll see you tomorrow though! Grammi said that she’d bake you some wuzzlenut brownies as a thank you.”

Artie cringed. “Sounds like she's trying to talk me out of it.”

Sunni giggled. “Artie.”

“Goodnight, Sunni,” Artie said.

“Night, Artie,” Sunni replied. “Thanks again!”

Sunni waved goodbye to the small bird before she turned to hurry home with a skip in her step. It had been weeks since she and Calla had time together. Even if Calla had to refuse the invitation for now, she hoped for a letter or some word from her best friend. Artie was their best means of communication for now and even that wasn’t much. Sunni and Calla certainly couldn’t assume Artie would constantly make the trip from Ursalia to Dunwyn just to deliver letters. She wished there were some more reliable system of communication, but there wasn’t much she could do about what she was given. For now, she all she could do was focus on the excitement of hearing from Calla again.

The next day, Artie kept true to his word. He returned home long before dinner had finished cooking. He had a note with him and Sunni could barely contain her excitement. After thanking the bird once more –which included a joyous hug– Sunni raced home to tell Grammi of Calla’s reply.

Grammi sat in the living room, repairing a rip in Cubbi’s clothing. The young cub had torn his work shirt when he’d been helping Gruffi and Tummi with building a new bed. The cub had left it in her capable hands before returning to work alongside Gruffi and Tummi. She allowed herself to get lost in thought as she worked. It was a rare moment of peace since moving to Ursalia and she was glad to take it. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t last long. Her tranquility was shattered when Sunni hurried into the living room.

“They’re coming!” She exclaimed.

Grammi could only make one assumption about the announcement. “Cavin and Calla?”

“Yes!” Sunni was practically jumping for joy. “Artie just got back with this!”

Grammi gently took the note from her to read it. Calla’s handwriting was unmistakable as it promised that she and Cavin had conceived of an escape plan. The note failed to go into detail as to how, but claimed that they would be in Ursalia by two o’clock tomorrow. Grammi stopped at that when she realized the rest of the note was more personal gossip to be kept between the two girls.

“She can’t wait to meet the Great Gummis,” Sunni grinned.

“That's wonderful, dear.” As happy as Grammi was, part of her warned against getting too excited so soon. “It'll be so good to see them again.”

“Should we tell the Chancellor?” Sunni asked. “So that he knows they’re coming?”

“Good thinking, Sunni. We can't have them showing up without letting people know. That might cause all sorts of havoc.”

“I can't wait to introduce them to everybody and show Calla around Ursalia,” Sunni said. “It'll show everyone here humans and gummis really can be friends again, including Lady Bloodberry.”

“Now don’t get too carried away,” Grammi warned. “Lady Bloodberry might not be as impressed with the whole situation as you might think.”

Grammi’s words didn’t have much of an impact on Sunni’s mood. “Can you go talk to the Chancellor? I have to get everything ready! I have to clean up my room, get dressed, get her a gift from the square and–”

Grammi rolled her eyes. She had a feeling if she didn’t stop Sunni there it’d be awhile before she finished her to-do list. “Alright, alright, I'll go talk to the Chancellor while you get everything ready.”

“Thanks, Grammi!” Sunni hugged her tightly. She pulled away to hurry upstairs to her room to prepare for Calla’s arrival. Grammi shook her head before setting aside Cubbi’s shirt for later; she would worry about it after her return. She had to admit preparing for Calla and Cavin’s arrival was more appealing than repairing an old shirt.

Grammi was already used to the protocol of visiting the council. Upon arriving, she spoke to a guard at the front gates about her business with the Chancellor; then she was forced to wait for five to ten minutes before she was allowed in. Two escorts stayed by her side until they reached the main meeting room. When the doors were finally opened to her, she could see the Chancellor sitting at the head of the elongated marble table in the center of the room. Beside him sat Vice Chancellor Ours and Lady Bloodberry. She only caught the tail end of their discussion, but it sounded as though they’d been something about shop permits. It didn’t sound particularly interesting.

When the three council members noticed her, she gave a polite curtsy. “Chancellor Berrybaum,” she greeted. “Vice Chancellor Ours.”

Grammi hesitated a moment before looking to Lady Bloodberry. “Lady Bloodberry.” She kept her tone begrudgingly polite. 

“Grammi, what a pleasant surprise,” The Chancellor smiled. “How may we assist you?”

“I'm sorry to disturb you,” Grammi said apologetically, “but I needed to talk to you about something.”

“My door is open to my people any time, good lady. Please, continue.”

“You wouldn't happen to remember when you granted us permission to invite Princess Calla to Ursalia, do you?”

“I do, yes.”

Grammi smiled. “I didn't think she would be able to make it out here so soon, but... the children were getting eager to invite her and–”

“And she's agreed to come?” Berrybaum finished.

“Yes, her and Cavin.”

“When?” Lady Bloodberry demanded.

Grammi shot a glare in her direction, but directed her answer to the Chancellor. “The note said she would be here by two o’clock. We felt that we needed to let you know, Chancellor.”

“I do appreciate it, Grammi,” he said. “I will have the guards alerted so that they'll know not to be alarmed.”

“Thank you, Chancellor.”

He nodded. “Is that all you needed?”

“Yes, Chancellor,” she replied. “We just wanted to avoid confusion.”

The Chancellor thanked her once again before Grammi was dismissed. Lady Bloodberry’s voice stopped her before she could exit.

“Oh, Grammi.”

Grammi sighed. “Yes, Lady Bloodberry?”

“Say hello to the cubs' little friends for me, will you?”

Grammi managed a polite smile. “Of course.”

With one last curtsy, Grammi took her leave. She was escorted out by the guards, as protocol demanded, while the council remained in the meeting hall. The Chancellor and Vice Chancellor returned to their discussion of shop permits. Neither bear noticed Lady Bloodberry’s lack of participation though her disinterest in such discussions was not unusual. The sorceress’ attention was still on the door with a satisfied smirk. She was suddenly very pleased that she hadn’t decided to skip the afternoon’s meeting.

By two o’clock, Grammi had already baked a batch of brownies to welcome Cavin and Calla; she set the plate on the kitchen table and the tea kettle over the fire. Sunni and Cubbi had already raced out of the house to greet the two humans. They’d both decided that they wanted to meet the two humans before they had a chance to reach the city.

“Hurry up, Cubbi!” Sunni urged.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Cubbi wasn’t too far behind. Just as eager to see Cavin, he didn’t even stop to look at the guards as they exited Ursalia. It had been far too long since the two boys had spoken since Igthorn’s defeat. Sunni was determined to see the look on Calla’s face when she was able to see Ursalia for the first time. 

Sunni grinned from ear to ear when she caught sight of Calla. “Calla!”

The two girls greeted one another with an embrace. Calla had forgone her usually attire and replaced it with slacks. The princess felt it would have been careless to wear her dress on such a journey. The boys could barely understand them as they spoke over top of each other and excitedly squealed every so often; they fondly rolled their eyes and left the girls alone by retreating to the city.

Unbeknownst to the children below, they weren’t alone. On the cliffs above their heads, Lady Bloodberry could see the reunion. Close to her was her bat, nuzzling against her cheek for affection as they watched the children.

“Weakness at its finest, Bast,” she sneered. “And you know what we have to do with weakness.”

Bast chirped and nuzzled the crimson bear’s cheek in response. Below the still unaware Calla and Sunni were trading stories of what had happened since they had parted; only now they were no longer speaking over top of one another.

“How did you manage to get away from the castle?” Sunni asked.

“My nurse maid,” Calla said. “She's always been a romantic at heart, so when I told her how desperately Cavin and I wanted to be alone....”

“She helped create a cover story for you?”

“Exactly!” Calla paused when her eyes fell upon the city for the first time. “Is... is this Ursalia?”

“It is! Isn't it amazing?”

“It’s stunning, Sunni,” Calla gasped. “I just knew the gummi capital would be amazing.”

“I was afraid you’d never get to see it,” Sunni admitted. “There’s…”

Sunni trailed off when the sound of crashing rocks threatened to drown out her voice. The girls looked upward in confusion. 

“What’s that noise?” Calla asked. It didn’t take long for both of them to realize that there was an avalanche of rocks cascading down the cliff toward them.

“Calla! Look out!”

The girls screamed as they narrowly avoided being crushed by the falling earth. During the chaos, Sunni felt the blunt force to the back of her head before everything went black. Calla hadn’t seen the accident as she attempted to escape being killed. The princess felt her foot slip out from under her by the edge of the pathway to Ursalia. It was enough to cause her to lose her balance and nearly fall to the bottom of the gorge. With a terrified scream, she clung to the side of the cliff for dear life.

“Help!” She cried. “Cavin!”

Calla fought to pull herself back up. Looking down, she could see the jagged rocks beneath her feet. Her heart raced; she knew if she were to fall she would be killed instantly. The princess didn’t have time to dwell as an unfamiliar foot step into her line of view. 

Lady Bloodberry stared down at her, Bast resting on her shoulder. “So nice to see you, Princess… Calla, was it?”

Calla attempted to reach a hand out to the gummi, but was forced to retract it to keep from falling. “Help me!”

“No,” Lady Bloodberry shook her head. “No, my dear princess, I’m not here to help you. It's a pity. I was hoping the rock fall would be what did you in.”

“That was you?”

“I had to get rid of you somehow.” Calla noted how frighteningly blasé Lady Bloodberry sounded.

“Get rid of me?” Calla screamed again when her fingers threatened to lose their grip. She quickly managed to grab a tight hold on a small ledge to help keep her balance. “If this is about your safety, I promise I mean you no harm! I would never hurt a gummi bear! I swear on my life. And my father would never hurt any of you.”

“I’m not stupid,” Lady Bloodberry replied. “Of course you won't. Even if you wanted to, you don't have the ability. In the past we let humans win because we were weak. We have the numbers, the smarts and the technology to completely wipe out humanity.”

“Is that why you're doing this? Because you hate us so much?”

“Humans,” Lady Bloodberry sighed. “You're always so good at making everything about yourselves. This is about making us strong again. The only way to be the mighty empire we once were is to cut off all weaknesses, which is what you humans are! All other races are a weakness.”

“That's not true!” Calla protested. “We can help each other be stronger than ever before.”

“You are lucky you have your looks,” Lady Bloodberry commented, “because you certainly don’t have any brains. At least I don’t have to regret my actions. Had you been smart, it would have been such a tremendous loss.”

Lady Bloodberry jumped when Bast let out a startled squeal, flying away from her master. “Bast, where–”

She was cut off when she felt a strong force ram into her side, forcing her onto the ground. Opening her eyes, she saw Cubbi had launched himself forward to shove her down. Behind them, Cavin had already downed his bottle of gummiberry juice to rush to Calla’s aid. With the strength given to him by the juice, he pulled her back onto the ground, effortlessly.

“Calla, are you alright?”

“I’m fine now, thank you,” Calla hugged him, but quickly pulled away. “Where’s Sunni?”

Calla’s blood ran cold when she saw Sunni’s body lying lifeless beside one of the large boulders. “Sunni!” She pushed past Cavin to race to her friend’s side. She gently placed a hand on Sunni’s shoulder, shaking her slightly. When Sunni didn’t respond, Calla could feel her eyes start to sting. 

“You fools!” Lady Bloodberry got to her feet, shoving Cubbi off of her. “You ruined everything!”

“Lady Bloodberry.”

Lady Bloodberry froze. The Vice Chancellor’s voice had cut through the air like a knife and plunged itself straight into her gut. Her plan was falling apart at the seams and the Vice Chancellor’s meddling was the last thing she needed. 

“Vice Chancellor,” she managed.

“What is going on here?” The Vice Chancellor demanded. His eyes widened when he saw the unconscious Sunni in Calla’s arms. “Oh dear Lord, what happened?”

“She needs a doctor,” Calla said. “I can’t get her to wake up!”

“Cubbi, hurry inside and fetch a doctor.”

“Yes, sir!” Cubbi was quick on his feet. As much as he wanted to fall apart, he knew Sunni needed him. It was up to him to find the doctor and bring her to Sunni’s aid.

The Vice Chancellor gently stroked Sunni’s hair. “Lady Bloodberry… what have you done?”

“I was protecting our society.”

“By attempting to murder innocent children?” The Vice Chancellor was incredulous. 

“Princess Calla is a threat to our safety!”

“Who are you to decide that?” He demanded. “And who are you to decide that she would be killed for it? You nearly killed one of our own in the process.”

“All wars have casualties, Vice Chancellor.”

The darkness in her voice sent a chill up the Vice Chancellor’s spine. “You’re mad.”

Cubbi had been quick. He’d been lucky to find that one of the nurses happened to be close to the gates. Chancellor Berrybaum had discouraged spouses from visiting while the guards were on duty, but the nurse felt it necessary to bring her husband his forgotten lunch. Before she could even ask a single question, Cubbi had been dragging her by the arm out of the city. Alarmed, the guard had called for the Chancellor to follow them. He had known that the Chancellor would want to be involved if at all possible if it were serious. Cavin could already see Cubbi returning to them with the Chancellor and a nurse on his heels. The nurse immediately noticed Sunni and paid no mind to the scene unfolding before her; she was far more concerned with her newly acquired patient. She barked orders at Cavin and Cubbi to help her. They didn’t argue. Every demand they followed to the T in hopes they could revive Sunni. 

The Chancellor had stopped in his tracks as his brain pieced together what had happened. He gaped at the scene. Lady Bloodberry’s heart stopped as she waited for him to speak. She knew that things had no chance of working out in her favor now. 

“What’s happened…?” It was all he could say. The sight of a young child in danger was far too much for him to be more coherent. 

“Chancellor,” Lady Bloodberry began. “I did what had to be done.”

The Chancellor was visibly taken aback by her unexpected reply. He pulled his eyes away from Sunni to stare at her. It was an expression the sorceress had never seen on his face. The color had drained from his face and his mouth hung open. She couldn’t recall a time where she had ever seen him at a loss for words.

“You did all this?” He couldn’t wrap his mind around the scenario. He and Lady Bloodberry had their troubles in the past, but the idea of one of his most trusted advisors harming an innocent child was beyond his comprehension.

“To protect us, Chancellor,” Lady Bloodberry replied. She was steadfast in her belief that she’d done the right thing, but the Chancellor’s dazed expression had her feeling like a child.

“I don’t know what I can say to you,” he answered. “In all my years, I never thought I would see a day such as this.”

“What do you mean?” Lady Bloodberry kept her voice even.

“Lady Bloodberry,” he spoke gravely. “By using unnecessary violence and nearly killing two children, you have brought this on yourself.”

“Brought what on myself?”

“Lady Bloodberry,” he said. “I hear by strip you of your position on the council.”

“What?”

“And we cannot allow you to keep your medallion. Not if this is what you will do with it. We cannot overlook this abuse of power.”

In the pit of her stomach, Lady Bloodberry could feel anxiety crash against anger. “Is that what you’re going to call it?” She laughed. “I took control of the situation, Chancellor. I saved our city, but because you thought I didn't play nice, it's an abuse of power? This is why I knew befriending humans would be a mistake. You’re turning on your own kind because of them!”

“No, it was you who turned on your own kind,” he corrected. “It's not safe for you to have this power. Not anymore.”

The sound of armor clinking alerted Lady Bloodberry to the presence of Chancellor Berrybaum’s guards. She turned to see closing in on her with their weapons raised. Her heart pounded as she backed away.

“Keep away!” She felt her back brush up against rock; there was nowhere for her to run. She scoured her brain for some kind of plan when it struck her. The guards paused in confusion when she began to mutter words that they recognized as a gummi spell, but its purpose unknown. By the time they realized what was happening, Lady Bloodberry was gone in a puff of smoke.

“Damn it!” The Vice Chancellor shouted. “Chancellor, what do we do?”

“We place the guards on high alert,” he answered. “They will search for her. I will stay with the cub until I know she'll be safe.”

“Yes, Chancellor,” Ours nodded. He quickly took on the task of overseeing the guards before beginning his search for the few gummi knights who had joined them. He knew that they would need all the help they could get in finding Lady Bloodberry and apprehending her. There were very few wizards in Ursalia for the time being, but they would be rounded up to help. Every gummi would count in this battle and he knew it.

The Chancellor stayed by the children’s side as the nurse carried her into the city. Calla trailed behind the group, unable to stop the flow of tears. In spite of his own fears, Cavin kept by Calla’s side to offer support. He kept his eyes on the princess as he was unsure if he could keep himself from falling apart if he looked over at Sunni. Calla needed him. It was his job to be strong for her. Yet he feared what would happen if they were to lose Sunni. 

He couldn’t stop himself from wondering if someone would be there to be strong for him.

\-------

The minutes turned to hours as the Glens waited for word on Sunni’s condition. Grammi couldn’t keep still as she paced about the room. Gruffi fidgeted in his chair trying to keep his rage from bubbling over. All of his fears and concerns had morphed into a seething hatred of Lady Bloodberry and there wasn’t a gummi alive who could extinguish his fury.

“I swear,” he gritted his teeth. “If I ever see that no good crackpot again, I’ll wring her neck myself.”

“Not if I beat you to it.” Grammi’s patience had been worn thin. “And to think, I tried to be understanding of that… that…”

“Grammi, it’s okay,” Gusto attempted to diffuse the anger in the room. “I don’t think anybody predicted anything like this.”

“This has to be a mistake,” Zummi said. “Maybe it really was an accident. Gummi wizards are trained to protect their fellow gummis!”

“It was deliberate, Zummi,” Cavin said in a gentle tone. He knew it couldn't be easy new to hear. “She was aiming for Calla and not Sunni, but it wasn’t an accident.”

“Grammi?” The doctor’s voice called from the stairwell. She found that was all it took to have eight pairs of eyes on her at once. They watched her with bated breath, praying the news she had would be good.

The doctor smiled. “She’s going to be just fine.”

“Oh, thank heavens,” Grammi sighed. The relief in the room was palpable as the tension drifted away. The doctor gave them instructions for Sunni’s care before she and her nurse took their leave. By the time the others were able to reach Sunni’s room, she was already sitting up and alert.

“Are you feeling alright, sugar?” Grammi asked.

“My head still hurts a little.”

“Here, darling,” Grammi brought the young cub a cup of tea. “I made you some ginger tea. It should help with that. The doctor suggested peppermint oil too. We sent Gusto to fetch some.”

“Thanks, Grammi.” She took a sip of her tea before leaning back against her headboard. “I didn't mean for everything to get so crazy. I just wanted to show them that humans could be our friends. I guess it was a dumb idea.”

“No, sweetie,” Gruffi reassured her. “That wasn’t your fault. If it wasn’t for that woman everything would have worked out fine. The council will see that.”

“I hope you're right, Gruffi.” Sunni brought her cup to her lips for another sip of tea, nearly dropping it when the ground began to shake. She let out a scream as the quivering grew stronger; Grammi latched onto her tightly.

“What in the name of…?” Gruffi grabbed onto the door frame to keep his balance. The portraits hanging on Sunni’s wall crashed to the floor alongside a small vase that sat next to her bed. The rumbling lasted a few seconds longer before coming to a halt. An eerie silence took over the room as the bears waited for potential aftershocks.

“Thank goodness that’s over,” Grammi said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Gruffi replied.

Cubbi climbed up on the bed with Sunni, prepared to defend the injured girl. “What was that?”

Gruffi huffed. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”

“It must have been an earthquake,” Zummi suggested.

“Since when do we get earthquakes around here?” Gruffi asked. His ears perked up at the sound of frenzied yelling outside. “What is going on out there?

Cavin frowned. “Whatever it is, it sounds like trouble.”

“You kids stay here,” Gruffi ordered. “Tummi and Zummi, you come with me. We’re going to check this out.”

“But Gruffi-”

“Nothing doing, Cubbi,” Gruffi interrupted. “It might be dangerous and I want you kids to keep out of the way. We don’t need to take any more chances.”

“Why does Tummi get to go?”

“Because I said so,” Gruffi answered. He didn’t stay to keep the conversation going. Cubbi watched as he led the two other gummis outside to check on what was happening. The young cub hated when adults said that, but he found there was never a retort that worked against it.

“Cubbi, dear,” Grammi said. “Can you go downstairs and get me some more moist towels?”

“Sure, Grammi,” he sighed. “Come on, Cavin.”

The two boys made their way downstairs and into the kitchen. Sitting next to the sink was a stack of small white towels that Grammi had been referring to. Cubbi ran the water and held one of them underneath the faucet.

“It’s not fair,” he said. “We should be out there helping, especially after what she did to Sunni!”

“I know Gruffi told us to stay here, but…”

“But they’ll need us out there!”

“After we take these up to Grammi, I think we should go out there and help.”

“Me too!”

“Me three,” a feminine voice chimed in.

The boys jumped at the sudden intrusion. “Calla?” They spoke in unison.

Calla stood with her hands on her hips in the doorway. “You weren’t thinking of leaving me behind, were you? I’m in this, too, you know?”

“Calla,” Cavin repeated. “No, you can’t.”

“Oh? And why can’t I?”

“Calla, please, I- We already almost lost you once.”

Calla’s face softened. “Cavin, no one is going to lose me.”

“We don’t know what’s going on out there or how dangerous it is.”

“Cavin’s right,” Cubbi said. “It could be anything.”

“And we need someone to stay here and help Grammi,” Cavin said. “I don’t think all of us can sneak out at once.”

When Calla looked nonplussed, Cubbi offered up his compromise. “How about we check it out and come get you once we know what’s going on?”

“Alright,” Calla conceded. Cavin felt a swell of relief. He debated not returning for her and dealing with her anger afterward. This plan was beginning to win out. Calla took the towels from Cubbi to run them upstairs, still not pleased with the outcome of the agreement. Once the boys were outside, they could see guards and knights running throughout the city to reach the gates. Due to the chaos, the boys were able to reach the wall without the others noticing. Only one gummi was able to shout at them to get back, but he was immediately preoccupied with getting back to his post.

“What’s going on…?”

“We can get a better look from there,” Cubbi pointed to one of the unoccupied towers. He led the way up the flight of stairs to stand on the small balcony at the top with Cavin. They could see over Ursalia’s wall to get a look at the threat the other gummis were trying to fight.

On the horizon they could see a sea of rotting flesh and bone heading for the city. Creatures of every species dragged themselves closer, occasionally stumbling on rocks or small mounds of dirt. Arrows did nothing to slow them down; each time one was hit they continued on as though nothing had happened.

Lady Bloodberry stood behind the conjured army; her pet bat was noticeably absent from her shoulder. Around her neck was a small vial that Cubbi had never seen her wear before. Inside it was a strange red liquid that sloshed around with every movement from the sorceress. It became instantly clear that the army of corpses followed her every command.

“What are those things?” Cavin furrowed his brow.

“Cubbi!” The sound of Gruffi’s enraged tone caused the cub’s fur to stand on end. “What do you two think you’re doing here?”

The boys turned to face the older bear. His sour expression told them all they needed to know. They could feel Gruffi’s eyes burning right through them. Cubbi couldn’t find any comfort in looking to Zummi who watched them in dismay. Whenever he gave that disappointed look, it was far worse than whenever he was angry. The guilt nearly tore Cubbi apart from the inside. Tummi sheepishly kept behind them and offered no defense.

“We wanted to help,” Cubbi said weakly.

“You should have helped by staying at home with Grammi!”

“Gruffi, this is our fight, too,” Cavin said. “It’s our duty to help protect Ursalia.”

“I don’t care why you think you should be out here,” Gruffi snapped. “It’s not safe!”

“Maybe right now isn’t a good time to have this fight,” Tummi could barely be heard over them.

“They’re getting closer!” One of the guards screamed from outside.

“We’ll finish this later,” Gruffi promised as he pushed past the two boys to look out. The creatures were closing in despite the attempts to keep them at bay. “Zummi, do you know what all of this is?”

“I… Something I didn’t think was really possible.”

Gruffi turned to him. “Care to elaborate?”

“It's said that a truly powerful gummi wizard can... call upon the dead.”

“What?” Cavin felt a bit lost.

“I thought it was just stories,” Zummi exclaimed. “I could never imagine a gummi actually doing it.”

“I couldn’t imagine someone wanting to,” Tummi said.

“Well,” Gruffi began, “if there ever was a gummi that would ever want to, it would be her.”

“They can’t hurt us, right, Zummi?” Cubbi asked hopefully. “Gummi magic can't be used to hurt other gummis!”

“Not directly, no, but indirectly is another story,” he shook his head. “Those creatures were summoned with gummi magic, but they're able to attack on their own.”

“Then we better get back into this fight and help the guards.” The group followed Gruffi’s lead and the guards had little to no time to argue with them about children joining them. At that point, they were grateful for the help that they allowed them to stay and even gave them tasks. The loaded catapult after catapult with little success.

“Zummi, this isn’t working,” Gruffi called out to him. “What do you know about this spell?”

Zummi thought back for a moment. “I-I know she needs the sontrol course - control source! She has to use her own blood mixed with that of a fresh corpse. Only then can she have power over whatever corpses she can get her hands on. We'd have to destroy the control source to take them all out at once.”

“Great,” Gruffi scoffed. “Now we just have to figure out what the control source is.”

“The little vial!” Cubbi shouted. “She has a vial of red stuff around her neck! I bet it’s that.”

“That sounds logical,” Zummi said. “But it’s too dangerous to send someone out to get it from her.”

Gruffi scratched his chin in thought. “That’s why we improvise.” He turned to grab the shoulder of one of the guards. “Aim for Lady Bloodberry!”

“What? We can’t kill one of our own!”

“I don’t want you to kill her,” Gruffi said. “Just aim close to her and knock her off her feet.”

The guard hesitated, but eventually relented. As much as Gruffi wanted to, he couldn’t blame him. This was unfamiliar territory for any gummi. The idea of harming a fellow gummi was a foreign concept and now that their hand was being forced it was a distressing situation. He stood by as they loaded the catapult and aimed for Lady Bloodberry. They carefully positioned it in hopes it wouldn’t be a direct hit.

“Alright,” Gruffi said. “As soon as you get a clear shot, I want one of you archers to hit that vial around her neck.”

“Have you lost it?” The archer asked.

“Trust me!”

“But do you even know what you’re doing?” The archer wondered.

“Please,” Zummi stepped forward. “If we’re right, then that vial should be the source of her control over these things. Without it, they won’t be a threat.”

“Are you sure?”

“Hunni, if the wizard says it’ll work, it’ll work,” one of the bears manning the catapult commented.

Zummi paused. He hadn’t expected them to take his word simply because of his position. He briefly swelled with pride before reminding himself of the situation at hand. He would have to be proud of himself later.

He watched as they cut the rope, hurling the giant boulder forward. He felt his heart catch in his throat as the rock nearly crushed Lady Bloodberry. She let out a scream as she fell; she hit the ground with a thud, crying out in pain when her arm made contact with a sharp rock during the fall. The pain distracted her from noticing the vial around her neck had flown off. It sat a few feet beside her as she struggled to get to her feet.

“Quick,” Gruffi shouted. “The vial! Before she grabs it!”

Hunni quickly pulled her bow back and shot off her arrow. Gruffi’s stomach twisted when the first arrow missed its target, but startled the sorceress. When she gained her senses, she attempted to reach for the vial. Luckily, Hunni’s second arrow hit before Lady Bloodberry could reach it. The glass shattered under the pressure of the metal tip with the red liquid spilling out over the ground. The summoned creatures’ pace slowed even further until they collapsed.

“No!” Lady Bloodberry screamed. “Damn it, no!” She cried out in pain when she moved her arm abruptly. “You haven’t won, you cowards! You haven’t won!”

The Glen Gummis and Cavin kept their distance as they watched Ursalia’s guards attempt to pursue the sorceress. Their lack of success wasn’t a surprise, but the guards kept vigilante watch as a team was sent out to search for her. She had disappeared into the gorge to regroup, they assumed. Some gummis had been assembled to help rebury the corpses that now rotted in the sunlight. When the city had died down, Calla caught up with the group in the city’s square.

“I thought you were coming back for me,” Calla crossed her arms.

“I’m sorry, Calla, everything happened so fast,” Cavin said. “As soon as we found out what was going on, Gruffi found us.”

“He sure did,” Gruffi said angrily. “And he’s not all that pleased with a certain cub and page right now.”

Cubbi wanted to melt into the floor under Gruffi’s glare. It would be his only means of escape at this point. “Gruffi…”

“Princess Calla?” Chancellor Berrybaum approached. Cubbi gave an internal thank you to him for interrupting.

“Chancellor?” She turned to him.

“Are all of you alright?”

“Yes, Chancellor,” she said. “We’re all fine.”

“Princess Calla, we must beg your forgiveness,” he bowed to her. “We spent so much time worrying about the dangers you humans could bring when we are the ones who brought the danger to you. I am truly sorry for all of this.”

“There is no need for you to apologize, Chancellor Berrybaum,” she assured him. “I don't blame you for Lady Bloodberry's actions. No more than you would blame me for Sir Igthorn's.”

Chancellor Berrybaum nodded. “We are not ready to ally ourselves with your father yet. It's too soon, but we hope that someday that we will. Now that we have one of our own to fight, we may need your help now more than ever. You have proven yourself to be more than trustworthy, both you and Cavin.”

“I understand, Chancellor,” she said. “I do look forward to when the day that there can be peace between us. I will do whatever is needed to help you protect Ursalia.”

“Thank you, Princess.” He turned to the Glen Gummis and Cavin. “I want to personally thank all of you for what you've done here today. The guards told me that it was your quick thinking and bravery that helped save us.”

“It was our honor, Chancellor.” Whenever Gruffi spoke to the Chancellor, he made sure to keep his tone polite. “Ursalia is our home now, too. We would do anything to keep it safe.”

The Chancellor smiled until his eyes fell upon Zummi. “Zummi? Are you alright?”

“Huh?” Zummi snapped out of his stupor. “Oh, yes....”

“Maybe we should get home,” Tummi suggested. He placed his hands on Zummi’s shoulders to lead him home. “It’s been a tough day.”

“You'll have to excuse him, Chancellor,” Gruffi said. “This fight wasn't an easy one for him… what with the circumstances of it.”

“I understand,” Berrybaum replied. “It's taken its toll on all of us. Princess Calla, we'll find an escort to take you home. I don't think it would be wise for you to stay here much longer as much as we would like you to.”

“Yes, Chancellor,” Calla said. “I agree. I just need to say goodbye to Sunni first.”

“Of course,” he nodded. “We will be waiting for you by the front gates when you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Chancellor.”

Calla graciously bowed to him before following the Glen Gummis back to their home. Her goodbye to Sunni was a tearful one, but she promised to return soon. After seeing Calla off, the Glens returned to their home to try to cool down from the day’s events. Time rolled on as day turned to night and the gummis attempted to sleep. Understandably, it was a struggle for all of them.

Zummi stared into his cup of water. Unable to sleep, he found himself sitting in the kitchen, lost in thought. The entire day had taken its toll on the older bear. He massaged his temple with a small frown.

“Oh, Zummi, I didn’t know you’d still be awake.”

Zummi looked up. “Tummi? What are you doing up?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I thought I’d get up and find a snack to calm my nerves. What are you doing up?”

“I couldn’t sleep either,” he admitted. “I’ve been thinking about Lady Bloodberry all night.”

“Oh, don't worry, Zummi. I don't think she'll come back for a while.”

“It's not that, Tummi,” he shook his head. “In all my years, I've never heard of a gummi wizard or witch doing the things she's doing. Our job is to help protect our fellow gummis, not hurt them.”

“Maybe she had a bad day? I know when I’ve had a bad day, I can-”

“I don't think it's that,” he stopped him. “I was so busy being relieved that Igthorn was gone and... now the danger is in our own backyard. I think for the first time in gummi history... our biggest threat won't be humans. It'll be one of our own.”

Tummi didn't reply. Unable to formulate the right words, he sat across from the aging wizard in silence. The morose wizard looked to the fire in the brick oven to watch the flames dance and crackle. Neither bear would be able to sleep that night, but for now they could take comfort in each other's presence.


	2. A Gummi to Remember

The thunder roared. The sound of raindrops hitting the tile roof could be heard as the storm engulfed Ursalia. The wind howled as dark clouds gathered above the city. The Glen Gummis had been cooped up for the majority of the day with the cubs growing restless. In an effort to get them to do something productive, Gruffi handed them boxes of things salvaged from the Glen that still needed to be unpacked. They did as they were told with minimal fighting until something gave Cubbi pause. In one of the containers was a portrait that didn't look nearly as old as the others. The bear featured in the portrait's clothing was far more modern and closer to something that Cubbi might see around town.

He was a dapper looking bear with his hair combed back which was the same color as his russet fur. Cubbi couldn’t place his face but neither could Sunni. The two sought out one of the older bears to ask about the never before seen painting. They found Grammi in the kitchen cleaning off a few dishes.

“Grammi?” Cubbi called out as he entered the kitchen.

“Yes, Cubbi, dear?”

“Can we ask you something?” Sunni asked.

“Of course you can,” she smiled. “What is it?”

“We were unpacking some of the stuff we brought over form Gummi Glen and we found this,” Sunni explained as Cubbi held up the portrait.

“We wanted to know if you could tell us who he is,” Cubbi added. “We don’t remember ever seeing it before.”

Grammi stared a moment before gently taking it from the cub’s hands. “…You don’t remember him?”

Cubbi shook his head. “Should we?”

Grammi sighed and Sunni could swear she saw tears starting to form. “I guess all of you were a little too young.” 

“Are you alright, Grammi?”

“I’m fine, sugar,” she said. “If you two are willing to take a little break from your packing, I can tell you all about that painting.”

Naturally, the two cubs agreed to this almost immediately. After getting them a cup of hot cocoa to drink as they gathered around the fire, Grammi hung the portrait on the wall above the fireplace.

“There,” she said. “That’s the perfect place for it.”

“He’s really handsome,” Sunni said.

“He certainly was,” Grammi nodded. She moved to the couch to sit in-between Cubbi and Sunni. “The bear in that picture is Tavis.”

Sunni gasped. “That’s Tavis?”

“Tavis?”

“He was my husband, Cubbi,” Grammi explained. “You were just a baby when he passed away.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about him before, Grammi?”

“I didn’t think you were old enough,” Grammi admitted. “But I guess you’ve been old enough for a while now, but I could never get myself to bring it up.”

Grammi settled in with the children to tell them about the man they never got the chance to know. The two of them grew up in the Glen, but Grammi had always been careful to avoid him. As a young girl, she knew him for all the hair pulling and teasing he did. As teenagers, this behavior mellowed but the teasing never ended. Every time they crossed paths, Tavis had some crass thing to say to her. As young adults, they had more or less gone their separate ways. Grammi learning how to make gummiberry juice while Tavis worked alongside the other carpenters; he’d recently taken Gruffi on as his apprentice. He was much younger than the two of them, but eager to learn. In those days, the Glen was still filled with plenty of other bears for them to socialize with while keeping out of each other’s way.

That changed when the two of them found a friend in Cici, a bear determined to celebrate her birthday with her dearest friends. Grammi had offered to bake the cake when she found out they had already asked Tavis to make an old family recipe. She found herself backed into a corner when Cici encouraged the two of them to make her cake together; she insisted that it would make the whole even that much more special. Grammi didn’t quite understand why she was adamant about it, but she didn’t have the heart to argue.

As they worked alongside one another in the Glen’s kitchen, she was beginning to wish she had. It was a disaster from start to finish. Grammi wasn’t that fond of playing second fiddle to him in the kitchen as he took control over the entire event.

“Shouldn’t you use more sugar?”

“This is how my grandmother used to make it,” he said. “And it’s how I’m going to make it.”

“I just don’t think it’ll be sweet enough.”

“It’ll be plenty sweet.” He continued to work, frowning when he noticed Grammi watching over his shoulder. “I can’t do this with you breathing down my neck.”

“I am not breathing down your neck.”

“You are!” He was exasperated at this point. “Look, just… Just go sit or something. I got this.”

They could cut the tension with a knife. The two tried to stay out of one another’s way, but occasionally would bump into one another or be forced to exchange words. The silences between them were merely intermissions for the arguing. Despite all the attempts to get along, the fighting came to a head when Grammi was blocked, once again, from touching the batter for the third and fourth cake tiers; Tavis citing his fear of something happening to his cake as the reason.

“You are impossible!” Grammi shouted.

“You’re not exactly a saint either.”

“I swear, Tavis Gummi….”

“Alright, alright, let’s just get back to work,” he sighed. He started to work with the dough once more. He was no expert at cooking, but he had a feeling that a little extra flour was needed. Reaching over to grab the bag, it was falling out of his grasp before he knew it. In a puff of flour, the two bears were cover from head to toe in the white powder.

“Tavis….”

“It was an accident!” He turned his head just to get a gob of ruined cake dough smeared on his face by an angry Grammi. He paused in surprise before he began laughing. To his surprise, Grammi soon joined him in laughing. His sides felt as if they might split before he finally started to settle down.

“I have never had anything like this happen,” Grammi admitted. “Figures that only you would find a way to make this much of a mess.”

“I am a talented man.”

“Talented isn’t the word I would use.”

“Let’s clean this up,” Tavis smiled fondly. “Then we can make that poor girl a proper birthday cake.”

“Right, of course,” Grammi started to clean up the mess. 

Tavis paused a moment before speaking up again. “You know, at the party tonight, you wouldn’t mind saving a dance just for me, would you?”

“Dance?”

“Just one.”

Grammi hesitated. “I guess one little dance wouldn’t hurt.”

He grinned. “Great! I’ll make sure to hold you to that.”

Grammi couldn’t help but wonder if she would end up regretting this. She shook her head and went back to work. Now she knew the first few steps of the cake she was able to start on it without much guidance from Tavis. The second attempt at baking went much smoother for the both of them; before they knew it, there was a large wuzzlenut fudge cake ready to be served. The party went on without a hitch. Grammi stood by the punchbowl when Cici, a cute gummi with dark green fur, approached her with a mischievous grin.

“So, how’d it go?” Cici asked.

“How did what go?”

“Baking!”

“Oh, it went fine,” Grammi said. “We had a couple of problems, but I think it turned out alright in the end.”

“No, not the cake,” she said. “Tavis!”

“What about Tavis?”

“Did you two have fun together?”

Grammi raised an eyebrow. “It was alright, I suppose.”

“Just alright?”

“Cici, what are you getting at?”

“Ugh, you two are impossible,” Cici moaned. “I try to do something nice for your relationship and you don’t even take advantage of it!”

“Relationship?”

“Yes!” Cici exclaimed. “You two have so much romantic tension and I just know you’d be perfect for one another.”

“Cici, I think maybe you’ve had one too many Gummiberry ales.”

“Grammi?” Tavis’ voice interrupted. The two women turned to see him smiling. “I hope you don’t mind my interrupting, but I think I was promised a dance?”

Cici’s eyes darted between them, unable to suppress a grin. “Just alright, huh?”

Grammi shot her a look before nodding. “Right,” she said. “One dance.”

He smiled as he took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. Grammi could see a giddy Cici in the corner of her eye and it took all of her strength not to sigh. Of course, this is why she’d been so determined to get them to bake together. Why she’d settled on Tavis being her perfect match, Grammi didn’t quite understand.

“You don’t have to look like this is the most painful thing you’ve been through,” he teased.

“Huh?”

“Your expression,” he said. “You look like you would rather be anywhere else but here.”

“Oh,” she hadn’t even realized. “No, I was just thinking. I think Cici was trying to set us up with that cake making business.”

Tavis laughed. “That’s Cici for you. I’m half-surprised she didn’t try to be a professional matchmaker.”

“I gotta say I am too,” Grammi chuckled. “But she’s never been very good at it, the poor dear. You remember when she tried setting up those two humans without them finding out? She nearly got us all caught in the process.”

“Did those two humans ever get together?”

“No,” Grammi laughed. “They were already married to other people.”

Grammi couldn’t help but smile at the sound of his laughter. “I feel a bit bad,” he admitted. “She just wants to help.”

Grammi nodded. “I’m sure one of these days she’ll get it right. For her sake, I hope she does.”

“She was like that when we were kids, too,” he remembered. “She used to read all those fairy tale romances and try and get us to play… what did she call it? Epic Love Journey?”

“No, no, she called it ‘For the Love of a Princess,’” Grammi reminded him. “I actually had a lot of fun playing that.”

“When you weren’t busy being part of the Impossible Pair,” he noted. “Those days were always pure torture.”

“You’re just mad Nogum knew how to put you in your place.”

“More like he knew how to torment me.”

“Serves you right,” Grammi said. “You deserved it for all the bullying you did to me.”

“I wasn’t bullying, I was teasing,” he defended himself.

Grammi scoffed. “That’s not how I saw it.”

“Well, in that case, I’m sorry.”

“You can’t just-” Grammi stopped mid-sentence. “Wait… you’re sorry?” This was not the reaction she’d been expecting. She had been waiting for him to make an excuse or to laugh it off. Instead, she was given the apology she wanted as cub.

“I didn’t realize it upset you so much,” he continued.

“I… Well then, apology accepted.”

“Is that why you don’t like me?”

“I don’t really dislike you,” Grammi admitted. “You just try my nerves.”

“I could say the same about you.”

Grammi tried to think of a reasonable argument, but fell short. “At least I’m pretty cute while doing it, wouldn’t you say?”

Tavis laughed just as the music came to a stop; there was a twinge of disappointment when Grammi realized the dance was over. “You know, this hasn’t been so bad,” she said.

He nodded. “No, it hasn’t,” he agreed. “But you know what would be even better?”

“What?”

“If you’d agree to go out on a date with me.”

“Seriously?”

“Just something simple,” he explained. “Like a private dinner for just us.”

“Why on earth would you want to date me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” He asked. “You’re smart, beautiful and a pretty tough gal.”

She eyed him a moment. “So you really mean it?” She asked. “You want a date?”

“I really, truly mean it.”

She didn’t know what to say for a moment. Rather than let him know he’d caught her off guard, she crossed her arms. “Tomorrow at seven.”

He smiled. “Tomorrow at seven would be perfect.”

“I’ll meet you in the main hall then,” she said before walking away. She could see Cici bouncing in place as she returned to her. Naturally, Cici was determined to help her prepare and it was thanks to all her gushing that Grammi realized she’d been trying to play matchmaker for some time. As nervous as this made her for the date, it went better than she expected. There wasn’t a word of sass from Tavis as they shared a lovely dinner together. Afterward, they spent the rest of the night gazing at the stars before they could barely keep their eyes open. Grammi didn’t hesitate in agreeing to see him a second time. 

Every time Tavis as for a date since that night, Grammi agreed. The days turned to weeks and weeks to months. Two years had passed since their first date. They’d had turbulent times, but always came out stronger in the end for it. However, everything changed during the gummiberry Harvest. Grammi and the other gummis had been working themselves to the bone to harvest them all and prepare them for preparing gummiberry juice. Grammi could feel her muscles begin to ache and her fingers tire from the constant working. She knew it was important to keep at it, even if a certain someone was encouraging her to stop.

“Come on, Grammi,” Tavis urged. “Just for an hour, that’s all.”

“Tavis, we don’t have time to dillydally.”

“It’s just a picnic, Gram,” he said. “Besides, you need to eat to keep your strength up. They wouldn’t want you starving yourself before you can finish picking all these berries.”

Grammi sighed. “A half hour.”

“I’ll take it,” he grinned. He happily led Grammi by the hand after gathering up the picnic basket he’d packed. No one else seemed bothered by the two leaving; Grammi could have sworn she heard some of the other women giggling as they passed by. She paid little attention to it. She was far too frustrated by the interruption. 

Frustration turned to awe when Tavis revealed the spot he’d chosen for the picnic. He set up the blanket beside the stream; the water gently flowed over the rocks while the occasional fish could be seen swimming with the current. 

“This is beautiful, Tavis,” Grammi smiled.

“I knew you’d change your tune.”

“You knew nothing of the sort.”

Tavis laughed. “Okay, you win, I hoped you would.”

The immediate surrender gave Grammi pause. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing!” Tavis held his hands up. “Can’t I admit when you’re right?”

“You’re up to something.”

“You’re paranoid,” he teased. “Just sit and enjoy.”

Grammi wasn’t convinced, but did as he suggested. Before she realized it she started losing track of time as they laughed and talked. Tavis’ laugh had always been loud. She could recall times when she feared some human would find them from the sound of his laughter alone. Despite this fear, the sound of it had always been a source of joy for her, including the days when she’d convinced herself she hated him. It was infectious and no one was safe from it, even his enemies.

“You know, I’ve always had a thing for you,” Tavis said.

“Oh, you did not.”

“It’s true!” He laughed. “When we were kids I used to bug you all the time because I thought you might notice me.”

“You could have just asked to play like a normal cub.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“You’re impossible,” she sighed. “Even back then you were a menace. I couldn’t stand you for the longest time.”

“But you eventually caved to my charms.”

Grammi shook her head. “I’m still trying to figure out exactly when I lost my common sense.”

Tavis laughed and kissed her hair. “I promised myself one day I’d get you to go on a date with me and I always keep my promises. The day you said yes, I figured I could die a happy man.”

“And I’m glad I decided to give you a chance,” she admitted. The two smiled and enjoyed a moment of silence together. One of the nice things about Tavis was she could spend moments or even hours without saying a word without it being awkward. They could enjoy one another’s company even without conversation to fill the air. When Grammi realized they’d been gone far too long she mentioned that they needed to get back.

She began to clean up the mess they’d made during their lunch when Tavis’ cleared his throat. He waited until she turned his attention to him to speak. “There’s one last thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Yes?”

Tavis scooted closer with a grin. “Close your eyes?”

Grammi rolled her eyes, but then covered them. “We should be getting back, Tavis.”

“Just one more minute,” he said. She could hear him opening the picnic basket once more and fiddling with something. She had to fight the urge to uncover her eyes. “Okay, open them.”

Grammi uncovered her eyes. In Tavis’ hands was a water globe. The base was made of sterling silver and cradled the perfectly formed ball of glass. Inside of it, there were little specs to appear like sparkling snowflakes and a hand-painted glass turtle dove mounted in the center.

“Tavis…”

“Wait, wait,” he stopped her. He turned it upside down to reveal a winding key. After a few spins, he turned it back into the proper position as a gentle song played. Grammi immediately placed it as an old gummi lullaby they had both grown up with.

“It’s beautiful, Tavis.”

He smiled. “Grammi Gummi… with this gift,” he began, “I ask if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

Grammi stared in disbelief. It had always been a custom for potential spouses to make a proposal gift. The majority of gummis would buy a gift or make something simple, but she realized that when Tavis did something, he made sure to put his whole heart into it. She took it from him and cradled it. It was impossible to keep the tears from flowing at that point.

She looked up to see he was patiently waiting for his answer. Setting the water globe aside, she launched herself forward for a hug. “Yes! Of course!”

Unfortunately for both of them, Grammi took him off guard and sent him flying backwards. Grammi didn’t even realize what had happened until she could feel water splashing on her face. The two of them had fallen back into the shallow stream with Tavis on his back. Naturally, the other bear laughed at the situation.

“Tavis, I’m sorry!” Grammi was laughing as well.

“You are not,” he teased. Grabbing her by the waist, he quickly pulled her into the water to get them equally wet. Laughing even harder, Grammi splashed him before the two shared a brief kiss. He smiled as he hugged her. “Grammi, thank you for making this one of the best days of my life.”

“I should be saying that to you,” she said.

“Grammi?” Zummi’s voice could be heard in the distance. “Tavis?”

“We’ll be right there, Zummi,” Tavis called out. He turned back to Grammi. “How about we go tell them the good news?”

“I would love to,” Grammi smiled. She took hold of his hand before heading back to the Glen where they immediately announced their wedding plans. It would be another year before they held the official ceremony, Grammi wanting everything to be perfect for the big day. Travis, for once, stayed out of her way to let her do everything she wanted. 

The wedding itself had been quite a spectacle. As gummi tradition stated, the party would go on for three days after the ceremony. The ceremony itself was a very quiet and respectful ceremony where they vowed to stay by one another’s side until death. It was the part the cubs in the Glen looked forward to the least as they fidgeted in their seats. When the bride and groom kissed, the room erupted into applause. 

The rest of the time was filled with dancing, singing and eating. Gummiberry pies were baked as a wedding tradition alongside the couple’s favorite foods. One of the unspoken traditions was when the couple would try to find a moment of alone time. Tavis and Grammi rarely succeeded in this.

Eventually, the activities died down and things were back to the way they were in what felt like the blink of an eye. During the celebration, Grammi found herself eager for it to end so they could be alone. Afterward, she missed all the fussing and partying. However, Tavis quickly gave her something else to focus on. The couple didn’t take long to decide that they wanted children and they started to plan on additions to their family.

What they didn’t expect was for time to pass with no results. It didn’t seem to matter how hard they tried; Grammi found she was still without child. Worried, she visited the only doctor the Glen had during those days. He was a gummi who was a few years older and well versed in human and gummi medicine. She knew he would figure out what was wrong.

The news the doctor gave her felt like a punch in the gut. It took all her strength to leave his makeshift office and head back to the room she shared with Tavis. She kept her head down low and refused to meet anyone’s eyes out of embarrassment. In spite of the logical side of her brain, it felt as though they all knew. Not only did they all know, but silently judged her for it. Seeing Tavis’ grinning as she entered their bedroom only made the hollow feeling in her chest worse.

“Grammi, there you are!” Tavis’ smile faded when he noticed her solemn look. “Gram, what’s wrong?”

Grammi didn’t answer for a moment. She couldn’t work up the strength until she felt his arms wrap around her. “Tavis… we’re not going to have any children.”

“What?”

“We will never have children,” she replied. “I’m… I went to see Doc and…”

When Tavis noticed the pained expression on her face, he started to rub her back. “It’s okay,” he said. 

“We’re never going to be parents,” Grammi said. She couldn’t stop herself from crying. “And it’s all my fault.”

“Hey now,” Tavis scolded. “Don’t talk like that. You didn’t do anything wrong. Life just has different plans for us. And, you know, we’ve got plenty of cubs around here to help look after. It’s not the same, but maybe it’s what we’re meant to do. Help other parents from caving in on themselves.”

She didn’t lift her head to meet his gaze. He reached down to hook his index finger under her chin and nudged her to look up. “And we still have each other. That’s what counts.”

“You’re not upset?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I know we’re both disappointed, but I know we’ll get through this. I don’t think there’s anything the two of us can’t handle. I promise you that.”

Relief washed over her even though the sadness lingered. It still stung knowing she would never have children of her own, but the fact Tavis would always be by her side comforted her. After that day, the two of them became dedicated to helping the other parents in the Glen care for their little ones. Sunni’s birth had been a bittersweet day; the joy of a child’s birth tarnished by the death of her mother. Childbirth had proven to be too much for her fragile body. Grammi promised the almost despondent father that she would do everything in her power to help them.

In the year of Cubbi’s birth, life was cruel to Gummi Glen. Disease and famine caused their numbers to dwindle drastically. Sunni’s father and Cubbi’s parents were among those who passed away early on; they had sacrificed every morsel of food to keep their children alive as disease racked their bodies.

“It was up to us to take care of you,” Grammi explained to the cubs. “Tavis always made sure that you two were well cared for.”

“I only remember him a little,” Sunni admitted. “He was really nice and he was always the best at hide and seek. I don’t know why I remember that….”

Grammi smiled. “Sometimes it’s funny what the mind remembers, but something tells me he’d be real happy to know you remember him for that.”

“I wish I could have gotten to know him,” Cubbi said.

“I do too, Cubbi,” Grammi smiled. “He would have loved being able to see you two grow up.”

“What happened to him?” Cubbi wondered.

“He… he became very sick.”

“Couldn’t you have gotten him some medicine?”

“No, Cubbi dear,” Grammi ruffled his hair. “There are some things in this world we can’t cure. We tried, but there was nothing we could do even with all our know-how.”

She wiped the tears from her eyes before placing her hands on her hips. “I think maybe you two should get back to work,” she said. “I’ve got a few more chores of my own to handle.”

“Yes, Grammi,” the both said in unison. They took their cups to the kitchen before getting back to unpacking. Grammi, however, didn’t immediately go back to her own work. She turned her eyes back to the portrait of her late husband and sighed. The memory of his passing felt as if it had happened only the day before.

Grammi had been sitting beside the bed they had shared for so many years. The room was dark with only the candle on the nightstand to illuminate their faces. Tavis smiled as he looked to his wife.

“We’ve had some good years.”

“The best years of my life,” she said. She wanted to deny it was happening. Tell him to stop talking like that, but she knew better. It was time for them to say their goodbyes.

He smiled. “I told you that you wouldn’t regret marrying me,” he teased. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you, too.”

“I love you,” he added. “Always remember that.”

“I will,” Grammi kissed his forehead. “And I love you, too.”

“Those cubs will need you to stay strong for them,” he continued. “I know you can and will be. And I’ll always be looking out for you.”

Grammi couldn’t formulate a response. Words were racing through her mind, but she couldn’t get them to form any sort of coherent thought or phrase. Instead, she began to cry and rested her head against his chest as he stroked her hair. They stayed like that until Tavis’ eyes slowly began to close.

Even before his breathing stopped, she had known those were the last words she would ever hear him say. The memory hit her hard. It was as if someone had shot her through the chest. She knew she would need a moment to recover from the reminiscing. Grammi retreated to her bedroom; she had only been able to save a few items from her old room. Naturally, on her nightstand was an old familiar water globe. Grammi gave a sad smile when she looked to it, sitting on the edge of her bed to gently lift it. She turned the small handle on the bottom to wind it.

The melody played just as loudly now as it did the day it was new. She could hear the gears turning inside of it as it played. She leaned back in bed to let the tune remind her of those old, love-filled days of her youth.

With that song, she knew there would always be a little piece of Tavis with her for the rest of her life.


	3. Sunni’s Oil

Sunni watched her reflection in the mirror as she twirled. Grammi had hemmed one of Kaia's old dresses to fit Sunni a bit better. The vibrant blue, mermaid line dress made her feel more like an adult. She practically was one and it was about time she started looking the part, she figured. It wasn't like anything she'd ever seen in Dunwyn before meeting Kaia. The gummis who had lived in New Gumbrea for centuries had nothing similar to offer either.

"Gusto is going to love this," she said aloud. With her chores done for the day, she was free to locate Gusto to show off. She lifted the skirt of her dress to keep from tripping over it as she set out on her quest. She could hear Grammi calling out to her about being home for supper, but she didn't have time to stop and confirm she'd heard. She quickly realized that finding Gusto was a task that proved to be more difficult than she anticipated. When he wasn't at his cottage, she had to comb Ursalia in hopes of finding him.

After checking the usual places, she was beginning to lose hope. "Where is he?" She asked. The dejected gummi sat on one of the benches in the town square and rested her chin against her fist.

"Hey, Sunni!"

"Buddi?" Sunni lifted her head to look over to him. He had a fishing pole slung over his shoulder and waved to her with his free hand. Since the move to Ursalia, Gruffi and Buddi had been going on regular fishing trips. Occasionally, Cubbi would join them, but he had far less time for it now that he was able to train under real gummi knights. Buddi had admitted to Sunni that he'd noticed Gruffi was having trouble adjusting to Cubbi's new busy schedule. As a solution, Buddi had decided to reach out to him in friendship. Since that day, Gruffi was becoming more like an uncle to him.

"Oh wow," Buddi marveled as he got closer. "You look great, Sunni."

"Thanks," Sunni said. "Hey, have you seen Gusto? I've been looking for him all morning."

Buddi's face fell. "Oh. Yeah, I saw him heading out of the city with Kaia as we were coming back."

"Do you know where to?" Sunni hadn't been alarmed by Kaia being with him. Unsurprisingly, the two had found a great deal of common ground between them. This led to the two of them bouncing creative ideas off one another even if they were for different mediums. Sunni was a bit jealous at times. She couldn't understand why Gusto didn't see her as a good sounding board for creative ideas. She was just as creative as Kaia was and in very similar ways.

"I don't know exactly," Buddi admitted. "I can show you which way I saw them going though."

"Would you?" Sunni smiled. "Thank you so much, Buddi!"

While the other cub was more than happy to help, he didn't quite understand Sunni's fascination with Gusto. In fact, swooning over Gusto seemed to be something a lot of the women in town did. Even if they had no interest in chasing after his heart, he would hear them talk about how attractive he was. When it was about his looks, Buddi could understand to a certain extent. It was when they went gaga over his artistic side that he would get a bit lost. Although Gusto was talented, his artistic nature could get his more negative traits to bubble to the surface. He could be a lot more manic and obsessed to the point he couldn't always see past his latest masterpiece. Did girls really like that, he wondered. He did fine some comfort for his ego when he could go home and find that the Barbic women weren't interested in him.

After returning his fishing pole home, he set out to help Sunni find Gusto to show off the new gown she wore. He also assumed it would turn into her spending the rest of the day with him. It always did. He secretly hoped that the other two would be too far ahead to catch up to them. Unfortunately for Buddi, this wasn't the case. Gusto's canvas was still blank as the artist stood a few feet away from it. Kaia sat on one of the nearby rocks while watching him.

"There he is!"

"Maybe we shouldn't bug them," Buddi suggested. "They might be having one of those moments grown-ups have, like Gritty and Ursa."

"They're not like Gritty and Ursa though," Sunni argued. "They're just friends. Two adults can just be friends, Buddi."

"Yeah, but I think they might be more than that."

Sunni shook her head even though Buddi had successfully planted a seed of doubt. She turned her attention back to Gusto and Kaia who were mid-conversation at that point. Sunni could feel her heart sinking to the bottom of her stomach as she watched them. She couldn't hear a word of it, but each time Gusto laughed at anything Kaia uttered it felt like little splinters were embedding themselves into her heart.

"Grown-ups are so weird," Buddi said "And Gusto has to be the weirdest."

"He's not weird!"

"He is so!" Buddi laughed. "I don't get why you make such a big deal out of him. And he's so old."

"He's not old," Sunni argued. "He's older and sophisticated."

"Sophisticated?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Not that I expect you to know anything about that."

"Oh yeah?"

"Hey, cubsters," Gusto called out. "I didn't know you were planning on joining us."

"Hi, Gusto!" She greeted as she hurried over to him. She made sure that once she was close enough, she showed off her new dress adequately. In order to play it cool, Sunni acted as though she had wanted to show off for both of them.

"Notice anything different?"

"Looking pretty good there, Sun-Sun," Gusto complimented. "Kaikai's old outfits really suit you."

"Looks like Grammi did a bang up job hemming it for you," Kaia commented. "I wouldn't have even noticed."

"Thanks!" Sunni was beaming, mostly from Gusto's compliment. "What are you two doing out here?"

"Gus has been waiting for some kind of inspiration to strike," Kaia explained. "As you can see, nothing has quite taken hold."

"I thought there would be something out here," Gusto commented. "Something majestic or even the beauty of the cruelty of nature. Something that speaks of perfection against an imperfect backdrop."

"Right," Kaia said. "But so far he's been rewarded with weeds and the occasional lizard. And apparently, little goat-man monsters aren't inspiring."

"Would you stop trying to make that happen?" Gusto retorted.

Sunni frowned a bit as the two of them argued, if you could call it an argument. It was more like disagreeing in a teasing manner. Before she could become too engrossed in her thoughts, she noticed something. Beside one of the rocks was a strange puddle of green goo she'd never noticed before. When there was a break in Gusto and Kaia's conversation, she spoke up.

"Kaia?"

"What's up, kiddo?"

"What's that stuff?" Sunni wondered. She pointed to the sludge beside the rock.

"No idea," Kaia admitted. "I wouldn't touch the stuff though. You'll get worms or something."

"Worms?" Sunni raised an eyebrow.

"Well," Kaia hesitated. It was clear she had no real defense for her comment. "Whatever, you might get sick. It's best to leave it alone."

"Yes, ma'am," Sunni chuckled. She was a bit disappointed when Kaia was called back over to Gusto who had an idea to pitch. Artie must have had plans for the day and left Gusto and Kaia to figure out things alone. Thanks to Buddi's comments earlier, she couldn't help but wonder if Artie actually had things to do or if he left them alone because there really was something there.

Sunni watched the two of them discussing the different options Gusto had, which made her feel more and more like a third wheel. It was then a brilliant idea struck. She knew exactly how to get Gusto's attention back to her.

"Hey, Gusto!" Sunni called out. "Look at this!"

She got to her feet to stand atop one of the rocks in hopes it would give Gusto an inspiring view. He wanted to see beauty standing out against a plain and ordinary world and what could be more beautiful than her dress, she reasoned.

She never had the chance to get any kind of reaction from either adult when her foot slipped out from under her. With a yelp, she fell into the strange puddle beside it. The unusual green substance covered her and she recoiled in disgust when she could taste it in her mouth. The paste-like goop had a bitter taste unlike anything she'd ever had. She attempted to spit it out, but it coated her mouth like honey.

"Sunni!" Buddi hurried to help her back up. "Are you okay?"

"No," she said weakly. She perked up slightly when she noticed Gusto had rushed to her aid as well, pulling away from Buddi to lean against him. She attempted to drum up a little sympathy for now. "I really need to go home."

"Of course, Sunners," Gusto said sympathetically. Buddi rolled his eyes at the display, but followed as Sunni leaned against Gusto for support.

"Buddi?" Kaia turned to the younger bear. "You Barbics don't happen to know what this stuff is, do you?"

"We don't know," Buddi answered. "We see it around the gulch and kept away from it. This is the first time I've seen anybody touch it."

"It tastes so gross," Sunni moaned.

"Don't worry, kid, we'll get you home and cleaned up," Kaia promised.

As they returned home, Sunni was genuinely growing weaker. Gusto was practically carrying her through the door when they arrived, Grammi immediately fussing over her and taking her into the bathroom to clean up. Naturally, Gusto had to hear an earful from Gruffi for not keeping a better eye on the children. His attention was soon diverted when Sunni was having trouble keeping the contents of her stomach down and unable to get herself out of bed.

Zummi was bombarded with questions about the green ooze when none of Grammi's remedies had any effect. Unfortunately, the wizard didn't know any of the answers to their questions nor did the Great Book. In desperation, he asked for Valentina to come and look over the girl. The group explained to her everything that had happened and the unusual substance that covered her when she returned home.

"Do you know what that substance was?" Zummi asked.

"All too well," she frowned. "Based off of what I've seen, I'm certain it's venenum fons."

"Venenum fons?" Gruffi repeated.

Valentina slowly sat in one of the armchairs. "It's an unusual substance that can only be found in very few places. I didn't realize Ursalia would be one of them. I've had to teach many of my students to stay away from it. If ingested, it will cause you to grow weak and listless. Your breathing will start to slow as well as your heart rate until…."

"Until?" Grammi urged.

"Until they pass away," Valentina said.

"But there was no mention of it in the Great Book," Zummi said.

"It's relatively new," Valentina explained. "No one is sure why, but it only started appearing in the last 10 years. I have only seen a handful of gummis come into contact since I learned about it. Usually the infected person has a week to find the cure."

"Okay, so what is the cure?" Gruffi demanded.

"There's only one," Valentina said grimly. "An antidote made from lavender botrus."

"So then we go get it," Gruffi said. "Where is it?"

Valentina sighed. "I don't know the exact location. I only know that it's a dangerous journey."

"Great," Gruffi could feel his heart sink. It took all his strength not to yell in frustration.

"But," Valentina added, "I know someone who has made the journey before. She would know exactly how to find it."

Hope began to overtake Gruffi's despair as he sat upright. "Good. You go get her and tell her that we're going. I don't plan to waste any time. Tummi, you come with me. I want everybody else to stay here and keep an eye on Sunni."

"What about me?" Buddi asked.

"No," Gruffi said. "Sunni's going to need you here for moral support, got it?"

Buddi nodded and glanced to the stairwell. "Right."

"Grammi, we're going to need your help packing."

Normally, Grammi would have pushed for a more polite method of asking, but there was no time for silly arguments at the moment. Gruffi's bossiness was warranted for a change. The Glens were relieved when Valentina wasn't gone long; she returned with a younger gummi who was closer to Gruffi's age than her own. Her black hair was pinned back into a basic chignon and her fur was what could be described as lemon chiffon. Unlike many of the gummis in Ursalia, she wore a pair of dark brown pants made from animal hide with boots and shirt. What drew everyone's eye, however, was her left arm. The lower half of it from the elbow down was missing.

"This is Tikaani," Valentina introduced.

"This is your expert?" Gruffi asked as he kept his eyes on her missing arm. "What good is she going to do?"

Valentina scowled. "Gruffi."

"I could leave," Tikaani commented with an even tone. "But then your child would die, wouldn't she?"

Gruffi was stunned into silence. He knew she was right which was what made the situation all the more difficult to deal with. He wasn't fond of the idea of being at someone else's mercy – especially someone he didn't know – but the risk to Sunni's life was too great to argue with her.

"We leave tonight," Gruffi stated. There would be no apologies. "Tummi, you're coming with me."

"I'll come, too, Gruff," Gusto offered.

"No," Tikaani cut in. "The less, the better. I'll take two of you and that's it."

Gruffi nodded. "Gusto, you stay here and do what you can to help Grammi. Tummi will go with us."

"It will be a four day journey," Tikaani said. "Prepare for it. I will meet you by the gates in an hour."

She left no room to argue and Gruffi saw no reason to try it. As quickly as she entered the home, she was gone. They had already gathered a majority of the supplies necessary to take with them, but Grammi was able to make sure that they had enough food with them as well. When they reached the front gates, Tikaani was already there. She had packed light with only one knapsack slung over her shoulder.

"Ready?" She asked. Gruffi had to admit that the lack of emotion in her voice was eerie. Tummi, on the other hand, overlooked it. It was a serious mission, Tummi reasoned, and he wondered if her detached behavior was a way to keep levelheaded. He had a feeling that they would need someone to be the rock of the group. As strong as Gruffi was, he wasn't immune to fear and fear was something that would be following them every step of the way.

"Ready." Tummi saluted. He hoped that it would be seen an international sign of respect.

Tikaani didn't react to it. "We'll have to take a boat," she explained.

"Fine," Gruffi said. "I'll take over steering."

"Do you know how to steer a boat?"

"I know enough about boats to handle it."

"I didn't ask if you knew about boats," Tikaani said. "I asked if you knew how to steer."

"I do," Tummi said. "I've been studying boats my whole life! I even built one myself once."

Gruffi scoffed. "Don't remind me."

"But Gruffi, I know what I'm doing," Tummi argued. "I can get us there if Tikaani acts as my navigator."

"Nothing doing," Gruffi said. "We-"

"Stop talking." Tikaani's frankness immediately silenced him He was used to Grammi telling him to shut up, but the forcefulness behind Tikaani's voice was alarming. There was no anger or frustration; it was a simple command that she anticipated he follow. "Tummi," she continued. "You'll steer. The two of you can fight over the decision when a child isn't dying."

Gruffi wasn't sure if that was intended to be a guilt trip, but it worked. Tikaani was right about one thing. Sunni was the most important part of all of this. Tummi hadn't meant to start a fight, but he knew he was the best one to take control of the ship with his experience and knowledge. He only wanted to help Sunni in the best way he knew how, which was to create a fast and safe trip to find the plant.

"Don't worry, Gruffi," Tummi said. He didn't want there to be any animosity between them. "You can be my first mate!"

"Great." Gruffi sighed. He couldn't complain once they reached the boat. Tummi proved that he really did know his stuff; he was able to tell Gruffi and Tikaani each step that was necessary to set sail. It wasn't until everything was to his satisfaction that they set off. It was a smaller ship that Tikaani had gotten from Chancellor Berrybaum for the trip. It was safely hidden away in a small cove beside the beach to keep it away from prying eyes. It had the traditional gummi crest carved into the front of it as a symbol of gummi pride. Tummi seemed pleased with how sturdy it was and it wasn't long before he gave permission for them to set sail.

The trip by boat would take a day and night in and of itself; they wouldn't arrive to the island until the next morning. Gruffi had to admit, it was thanks to Tummi that the first half of the trip was rather uneventful. Mother Nature seemed to be on their side as the weather stayed clear even during the night while they slept. Gruffi hated the feeling of being useless. Despite the title of 'first mate' there was only so much for Gruffi to do and all of it was just following Tummi's orders.

He felt relieved when he spotted land. After hours at sea, he'd soon be in his element again and able to take charge. Sitting on the sidelines wasn't something he could do so easily, but the victory was short lived. The group was nearly knocked off their feet as a force from below caused the boat to start to tip.

"What is that?" Gruffi asked. When the boat had settled, he hurried to the edge to look down onto the water. He caught sight of a scaly tail of some strange creature he had no time to identify. Tummi was shouting orders behind him that Tikaani was scrambling to follow.

The three were knocked over once more by a wave crashing into the boat from a massive body slamming down into the water beside them. Somewhere during the chaos, Gruffi was able to get a good look at what was happening.

The silvery scales and catlike eyes were unmistakable. It was a sea monster threatening to sink them. Its tail whipped against the side of the boat with a thud nearly tipping it again. Water splashed onto the deck and Gruffi struggled to keep from falling back.

"We gotta stop that thing!"

"I'll take care of it," Tikaani said.

The creature lifted its head from the water to let out a loud screeching sound. The three gummis stared down at it, Tummi and Gruffi frozen in their spots. Tikaani was the first to make her move. She reached for a harpoon that she had kept nearby and began to take aim. It wasn't long before Tummi notice her movements, grabbing onto her arm to jerk it down.

"No!" Tummi cried. "You can't kill it!"

"We kill it or it kills us."

"There has to be another way," Tummi said.

Tikaani looked to Gruffi. "Do something about your child."

"He-"

The boat nearly tipped again. When Tummi fell back, Tikaani took that as her chance. The second she had a clear shot, she let the harpoon go. With one pained cry, the creature disappeared beneath the waves; all that was left behind was the bloodstained water.

"Is it dead?" Tummi asked.

"I don't know," Tikaani answered. "We should get to shore in case it isn't."

Gruffi waited until they had gotten safely to shore before getting in Tikaani's face. "What's the matter with you? You didn't have to kill it."

"And what solution did you have to offer?"

"You didn't give us time to think of one!" Gruffi snapped. "Maybe if you'd listened to Tummi, he could have come up with something."

Tikaani said nothing for a moment. "We should continue on. Your child has no time for our bickering. You can admonish me later for the sin you feel I've committed today."

Gruffi huffed as he gathered up their things. Tummi didn't quite know what to make of the situation. He was disappointed in the decision Tikaani had made, but he felt far more uneasy than angry. Frowning, he gathered his own bags and began to follow the other two.

After a few paces, Tikaani nodded her head toward the mountain on the other side of the island. "We have to get to that mountain. Lavender botrus only grows in high places."

"Fine," Gruffi said. "The sooner we get there, the better."

Gruffi walked on ahead. He was no longer in the mood to try and reach out to Tikaani in any form. Tummi attempted to keep pace with Tikaani rather than avoid her. While he wanted to be angry, he felt that understanding her was far more important. She seemed so confident in her actions that it made him uneasy.

"Tikaani?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Don't you feel a little bad?" Tummi wondered sheepishly. "Killing the sea monster, I mean."

"I don't take pleasure in taking life," Tikaani replied, "but my priority is to stay alive. I regret that it came to this, but I won't be overcome with guilt. I don't take chances with other people's lives."

Tummi nodded. He didn't know where he stood, but he felt relieved knowing it hadn't been a heartless act. In her mind, it had truly been kill or be killed.

"Your desire to save it was noble," Tikaani added. "But sometimes nobility can be your worst enemy."

He had nothing to say to that. It was something that he'd been raised to believe the opposite of; no matter the situation, it was important to be noble and to find the most peaceful solution if possible. He briefly wondered about the changes that would have been made to his life had Tikaani's attitude been a strong force on him in his childhood. Would he be more like her? Her reasoning was far more mechanical than emotional. It was different than anything he was used to seeing and he wasn't quite sure he liked it.

Things weren't any less stressful back at home. Buddi had been spending late nights at the Glen household and Ursa made no attempts to stop him. He never wanted to leave Sunni's side and no one in the Glen household felt the need to step in and separate him from her. In the beginning stages, she was still able to talk even though her voice would be soft or raspy. Slowly, she began to lose the strength she needed to speak. She was spending most of her time sleeping with Grammi forcing her to wake up occasionally for food and liquids.

The adults kept close by to watch over her, but there was only so much any of them could do. Buddi took over most of the work from Grammi and she didn't feel it right to stop him. She found that Buddi's help gave her far too much time to spend worrying with the others. She kept trying to occupy her time with menial tasks to keep from thinking too much about possible outcomes.

Gusto sat at the kitchen table as he stared into his cup of coffee. Grammi stood beside him at the sink to clean the dishes for what must have been the tenth time while Kaia was put in charge of drying them. Cubbi had been listless since he'd heard the news. He sat beside Gusto and rested his cheek against the palm of his hand. Waiting for Gruffi to return was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

"This is my fault," Gusto admitted. "I should have been keeping a better eye on the kids."

"It was an accident," Kaia said. "It all happened so fast no one really had time to react."

Gusto frowned. "I knew the gorge was dangerous. As soon as I saw they followed us out there, I should have focused more on them."

"Now you stop that," Grammi scolded. "Sitting around blaming yourself won't do Sunni a lick of good. We need to keep it together for her sake."

"Grammi?" Cubbi said. "Do you think Sunni will be alright?"

Grammi frowned. "I hope so, sugar."

"I'm sure they'll get back in time," Kaia said.

Gusto nodded with a sad smile. "Yeah, you can always count on Gruff to get the job done."

Grammi wanted to believe that, but she knew there was room for failure regardless of Gruffi's dedication. "Let's just hope they return soon."

"She'll be fine." The sound of Buddi's voice caused them to jump. "She's strong – one of the strongest people I know. She'll be able to fight this until they get back."

"Buddi, sweetie," Grammi said. "

Buddi cut her off before she could finish. "Maybe you want to give up hope, but I won't!"

"Buddi," Grammi said, but it was too late. He was already running back upstairs to Sunni's room, visibly upset. Grammi hurried up after him to find him leaning on Sunni's bed, crying. "Sweetheart…."

"I don't want her to die."

"I know, dear, I know." Grammi sat beside him and placed a hand on his back. She stayed by his side as he continued to cry. Grammi fought the urge to join him in his sorrow. She refused to leave him and gently rubbed his back without saying a word. He needed his chance to cry and she would give it to him.

Back on the island, the gummis were making headway. Gruffi was feeling a bit more confident now that they were facing very little opposition in the forest.

"Maybe we should stop to take a lunch break, "Tummi said.

Tikaani shook her head. "No. We eat once we reach the base of the mountain."

"For once, I agree," Gruffi said. "We'll need our strength to get up there."

The walk was tiring; Tummi's feet were throbbing with pain and they weren't anywhere near their destination yet. They crossed small streams, numerous trees and bushes with strange prickly leaves. Tikaani seemed well acquainted with the layout of the island and was even able to warn them of various insects and snakes to keep away from. Tummi was enthralled by the sights and sounds around him as there were brightly colored animals he'd never encountered before. He kept close to the two older bears to keep safe. He knew that wandering off too far from them could have disastrous results, especially if it slowed them down too much. He was already a bit slower than them and he wouldn't be the reason that they let Sunni and the others down.

Tikaani paused when she reached a dip in the landscape to look down at a small village. It was a human village from what Gruffi and Tummi could tell with quaint little homes scattered about. They couldn't see any humans, but Gruffi wasn't one to take chances.

"We'll have to go around," Gruffi said. "We don't want to risk being spotted by humans."

Tikaani shook her head. "No, the city is abandoned. The humans left this place many years ago and the only ones who stayed behind are long dead. We can cut through."

"Are you sure?" Tummi asked.

Tikaani didn't answer. Tummi wasn't sure if she disliked being questioned or if there was some other reasoning for her lack of an answer. The two watched as she approached a strange wire that was attached to one of the nearby trees while the other end of it was attached to one of the homes in the village.

"What are you doing?" Gruffi asked.

Before she could give a response – if she had even planned to – the answer clicked in Tummi's brain. "A zip-line!"

Tikaani nodded. "It's the fastest way down."

"Did the humans put it here?" Tummi asked.

"No," Tikaani said. "I did."

"Okay, but how do you expect us to use it?" Gruffi asked. "We didn't bring anything to connect to it."

"I did." Tikaani tossed two harnesses to Gruffi. She gave him no time to respond before she hooked herself up onto the zip-line and pushed herself down toward the city.

"I guess we better follow her," Tummi said.

"Here." Gruffi attached the harness to Tummi. He knew Tummi had never done anything like this before and it was up to him to make sure he did it without any serious injury. He'd let Tummi go down first in order to insure there were no mistakes. The last thing this mission needed was a Tummi pancake in the valley below, he told himself.

"Hold on tight." Gruffi hooked the harness onto the line before double checking the straps around Tummi. He tugged on them to make sure each one was secure. "When you get to the bottom, use your feet to slow yourself down."

Tummi nodded. He was about to push off when he felt Gruffi tug him back a second to check him over one last time. "Gruffi?"

"You can never be too careful," he said. "We don't know what kind of shape she keeps her things in."

After the second check, he finally let Tummi head down to the village and even gave a helpful push. He watched the other slide down nervously. Whenever he was forced to use equipment he was unfamiliar with it was always nerve-wracking. For all he knew, these harnesses had been rotting in some corner of Tikaani's house without so much as a glance to see if they were still sturdy. When he felt like there would be enough distance between them, he glided down the zip-line as well. Tummi waited for him at the bottom to help catch him and unhook him from the line.

It didn't take long for Gruffi to realize that Tikaani hadn't been lying. It was easier to see that the buildings were in disrepair now that they were inside the village. There were a few that looked as though they could cave in at any moment. Gruffi's paternal instincts were difficult to ignore; he continued to look back to Tummi to make sure the younger gummi hadn't gotten injured or wandered away.

"Tread carefully," Gruffi said. "There could be all sorts of danger around here."

Tummi nodded. He knew the warning was meant more for him than Tikaani which stung. He couldn't figure out why Gruffi still refused to trust him or believe he was old enough to take care of himself. Zummi had told him before that Gruffi had a hard time accepting he and the younger kids were growing up, but he wasn't sure how much he bought that. Both Gruffi and Tummi felt a bit of relief when they reached the edge of the village. It felt like one giant leap closer to the mountain.

By the edge of the city, there was a strange pit that the villagers had built a stone bridge over. The bridge was old and bits of it had already fallen into what looked like thick mud below. Tummi moved slowly for fear the aging stone would collapse underneath him. Gruffi urged him to hurry up which Tummi responded to by quickening his pace.

Before he could reach the other side, the stone beneath his foot gave way. He crashed into the pit below with a cold splat as he hit the bottom. He felt the thick mud clinging to him and reaching up to his thighs. He started to sink even further when he attempted to climb out.

"Gruffi!" Tummi shouted. The struggling lead to him sinking deeper and he began to panic. "It's quicksand!"

It was the only logical explanation. His heart began to race as he struggled further, reaching for the outstretched hand Gruffi offered. Their fingers couldn't reach. Gruffi was scrambling to find an alternative method of pulling him up. Tikaani, however, kept to the side and watched as the two struggled to get Tummi out of his predicament.

"Hold on, kid, I'll get you," Gruffi said. He could barely think straight as he looked for some sort of tree branch or some other option to save his friend. Tummi was near tears which only made Gruffi kick into overdrive. It was at that moment he noticed Tikaani kneeling by the edge of the cliff to watch Tummi. He could feel his blood pressure rising at her lack of effort.

"Why are you just standing there?" Gruffi demanded.

"There is no quicksand on this island."

The three bears shared an awkward silence. "What?"

"Actually," Tummi said. His cheeks were slowly turning red as he looked down sheepishly. "Now that you mention it, I think I stopped sinking. I must have hit the bottom."

Tummi tried to shrink away from Gruffi's glare but the mud kept him anchored in place. With a grunt, Gruffi stormed off toward the mountain while muttering under his breath. Tummi could only catch a curse word or two as he disappeared into the trees. He frowned as Tikaani helped him out of the "quicksand" and couldn't get himself to meet her eyes.

"Word of advice," Tikaani said. "In actual quicksand, don't struggle."

He nodded. Keeping his head down, he followed the other two without another word. He was already embarrassed and he didn't want to contribute to the situation by tripping over his words in an attempt to explain himself. It had been terrifying in the moment, but with the crisis averted he looked back on his actions in shame. It suddenly felt so obvious that he wasn't sinking in quicksand and he wasn't sure what made him jump to such a conclusion.

Traveling in silence, the group managed to make it to the bottom of the mountain without anything else being thrown their way. As they promised Tummi, they stopped to have a quick lunch to build up their strength of sandwiches, carrot sticks and something Tikaani called anlleq. Tummi didn't know what it was, but he was enjoying it. When they finished, they realized that there was no path that they could take which meant that the three would have to climb their way up. Gruffi glanced to Tikaani, taking note of her missing arm. He checked his knapsack for some kind of rope as he formulated a plan.

"Tikaani, I can carry you up," Gruffi offered.

"I'm fine." Before Gruffi could tell her to stop being stubborn, he saw her attaching some strange device to her arm. It looked like a traditional mountaineering axe, but it was designed to strap around the remaining part of her arm. Without a word, she began to scale the mountain with the axe acting as a second hand. Gruffi watched in surprise as she didn't struggle in the slightest.

"You gotta trust her a little more, Gruffi," Tummi said gently. He couldn't blame Gruffi for wanting to help. He'd been in that position before himself with Trina. "She's probably used to doing this stuff without any help."

"Hm." Gruffi didn't care for looking like a fool when he'd been trying to assist her. The fact they couldn't keep up with her made him feel even more idiotic than before.

"I guess she's done this a lot," Tummi commented as they struggled to keep up. He couldn't help but notice Gruffi's dour expression. "It's okay, Gruffi. You just wanted to help. I was like that with-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Gruffi didn't want the pep talk. He appreciated the effort although he would never admit gave it a rest after that. They continued to climb while Tummi would occasionally beg for some kind of break that was always denied. It wasn't that Gruffi enjoyed seeing him struggle, but the time limit they were given didn't allow for them to take their time. Tikaani certainly wasn't waiting on them.

She eventually slowed when she reached one of the ledges of the cliff which had enough room for her to climb up on it. Out of the two men, Gruffi was the first to reach her and pulled himself up onto the ledge before turning to help Tummi up. There was a small grassy area filled with a variety of flowers and other plants. Tikaani didn't say a word to the two as she started to search.

"I take it we've found where they grow?" Gruffi asked.

"They can grow here," she said. "It depends on how lucky we are."

Gruffi nodded. "Come on, kid," he said to Tummi. "We gotta find that botrus."

They worked quietly as they combed the small grassy area for any sign of the lavender botrus. Gruffi couldn't think of anything but saving Sunni in that moment. Anxiety was building up as he thought about how she had to be lying in bed on the verge of death. He tried to banish the image from his mind to no avail.

"Hey," Tummi said. "Is this it?" Tummi held up a small plant for the other two to inspect. True to its name, the plant was a cluster of small lavender colored flowers while it's the bright green leaves on the stem were thin and long.

"That's it," Tikaani said. Her tone remained even while Gruffi's face lit up.

"Way to go, kid," he said. "Now we can get out of here."

"Not so fast." The voice chiming in was new. The three bears frantically looked around for the source before they turned their eyes upward. Standing above them on another ledge was a beast Gruffi and Tummi had never laid eyes on before. The creature was covered in dirty white fur from head to foot with leaves and mud twisted up in almost every strand. His large calloused hands rubbed together as he watched them.

He had one physical trait that Tummi and Gruffi couldn't look away from – his eyes. There was no iris or sclera; instead they were completely black. Even without pupils, Gruffi could feel the creature sizing him up. Its voice was deep and gravelly and each word sent a chill up the Glen gummis' spins.

"I don't enjoy having visitors on my mountain."

"Oh, that's okay," Tummi said. "We were just leaving. No reason to worry about us." He started to edge back a bit as the creature jumped down onto the ledge they stood on.

"We don't want trouble," Gruffi said. "We just needed this plant."

"So you're stealing a plant from my mountain?" He asked. "You thought you could just rip up my mountain and run off with chunks of it?"

"Gruffi," Tikaani said. "Tummi, run."

"What?" Tummi asked.

"I said, run," she said. "I'll take care of this."

"Nothing doing," Gruffi said. "Gummis don't leave other gummis behind."

Tummi noticed a brief look of confusion on Tikaani's face. He wasn't able to focus on her for long as a enraged roar from the strange beast regained his attention. Staring into the creature's dark eyes, he clung to Gruffi's shirt and twisted the fabric around his fist.

"Quick," Gruffi shouted. "Your gummiberry juice!"

"I don't have any."

"You don't…?" Gruffi shook his head. What was this fool bear doing? How could she have come on such a dangerous journey without any gummiberry juice? He pulled away from Tummi to grab onto her. "Hold on tight."

He and Tummi quickly drank from the bottles of gummiberry juice they carried before the monster could charge. The two began to bounce down the mountainside quickly to escape the attack. Gruffi kept his arms around Tikaani as they made their way down. Tikaani's expression didn't change, but Gruffi could feel her arm gripping his shoulders tightly.

"He's following," Tikaani said. She glanced over to Tummi to see if he'd heard, but it was difficult to tell.

"Don't worry about him," Gruffi said. "We just need to get down this mountain before the juice wears off."

Gruffi could already feel the effects of the juice starting to subside. He could see ground was just a few feet away and something in him told him to risk one last huge jump. If he didn't, the juice might not last long enough for them to make it. "Hold on," he said. He felt her arm tighten around him as he made the leap. His stomach did flips as he watched the ground come closer to them.

The second after his feet hit the ground, he could feel the juice leaving his system. He gave a sigh of relief as he set Tikaani down and turned to look for Tummi. His heart stopped when he saw Tummi was no longer bouncing his way down.

"It must have worn off already for him," Gruffi said. He tried to find sight of the black-eyed monster but there was no sign of him. It didn't ease his fears as they waited for Tummi. When he was closer to the bottom, Gruffi hurried over to help him down from the mountainside. "Come on, we gotta get out of here."

"What was that thing?"

"My clan knows it as a krernertok iyaroak," Tikaani said. "I wasn't aware they existed this far from home."

"Yeah, well, let's save our surprise for later," Gruffi said. "We need to get back to the boat."

Tummi looked back to the mountain once more as the group moved forward. Gruffi silently thanked whatever deity may have existed for the lack of peril that awaited them on the road back to the boat. It was still docked at the shore and Gruffi made no arguments when Tummi took the helm again. All he could think about was getting home to Sunni now that they had the plant they'd been after.

Before they could set sail, Gruffi could see something moving in the trees. He tried to ignore it until the strange black-eyed beast from before emerged. Gruffi's fur stood on end as the monster made its way closer.

"Tummi!" He called out.

Tummi turned to look Gruffi's direction, catching sight of the creature. "Uh oh."

"We have to do something!"

Tummi snapped his fingers. "I have an idea," he said. "Gruffi, help me with this rope. Tikaani, can you distract him?"

"I can." She made her way off the boat without another word to keep the monster's attention. Tummi was relieved when Gruffi was following his orders without question. He had anticipated some sort of fight. Thanks to Tikaani, the beast didn't notice the other two gummis as they ran circles around him with the rope in their hands. He only realized what was happening when he felt the rope tightening around his legs. He fell forward with his chin hitting the beach beneath him; his teeth smashed together during the fall and the pain of it traveled straight to his gums. Gruffi and Tummi made sure to tie the rope knot tightly while leaving his hands free. The monster wouldn't be left defenseless on the beach while it would still slow him down when he had to take time to untie the knot.

"We gotta get out of here now," Gruffi said. The three managed to get back onto the boat with time to spare; iyaroaks weren't very good at dealing with knots. Before the iyaroak could get it untied, the gummis had already set sail and were on their way home. They could hear the beast screaming his demands for them to return until the island disappeared into the distance.

When they finally reached land again, Gruffi was the first one off the boat. He quickly tied it to the small dock the Great Gummis had built for it when they arrived. Once it was secure, he didn't wait for the other two as he ran back to Ursalia with the botrus in his hand. He didn't even stop to speak to the guards when he reached the city. He didn't even know or care how far back Tikaani and Tummi were.

"We're back!" Gruffi exclaimed breathlessly as he burst through the door. His clothing was torn and his fur covered in dirt and grime from everything they'd been through. He didn't care about any of it; the only thing that mattered was getting the flower to Sunni in time. His blood ran cold when he caught sight of Sunni. Her eyes were shut as she occasionally wheezed and coughed. Grammi sat by her side with a small cloth, wiping away any phlegm she coughed up.

"Gank toodness – thank goodness," Zummi got to his feet. "We were almost running out of hope."

"Valentina!" Gruffi didn't waste time on greetings. He thrust the flower into her hands which prompted her to head straight for the kitchen to mash it into the rest of the ingredients she'd gathered. Tikaani stayed just outside Sunni's door, but her eyes rested on Sunni. Every moment spent waiting on Valentina were agonizing. The Italian bear worked as quickly as she could and eventually she returned with a small cup with a violet colored liquid inside.

"We need to get her to drink this," Valentina said. She sat on the other side of Sunni as Grammi sat the girl up. Together, they gently encouraged the drowsy girl to drink the entire cupful. "Buono."

"Did it work?" Gruffi frowned.

"We'll know soon enough," Valentina said. "It'll be a few hours before we see the results. We may not even know until morning."

"I'll stay here with her," Gruffi said.

"Are you sure?" Zummi asked. "After such a rough journey-"

"I'm needed here," Gruffi shook his head. "With her."

Grammi nodded. "We're all needed."

There were no arguments as all of them gathered in Sunni's room to wait for some sign she'd recovered. Cubbi kept drifting in and out of sleep on Zummi's lap. He didn't normally cuddle up to the adults - he had grown out of that long ago - but he needed the reassurance that everything would be alright. He also figured Zummi could use the support as well. Tikaani kept her post outside the door.

"You don't have to stay," Gruffi said.

"I know."

Something told Gruffi not to push the subject. If she had her reasons for staying, it was unlikely she would share them. He placed his hand over Sunni's as he watched her sleep. Her breathing became less labored as the night went on, which he could only assume was a good sign. It was a struggle to keep his eyes open as he noticed the others were starting to succumb to sleep. The stress of everything that had happened was catching up to all of them and Gruffi's body was losing the war to stay awake. One moment he was watching Sunni and the next he could see sunlight pouring in from the window.

"Sunni?" He sat upright when he realized he'd slept through the night. He had been the first of the Glen gummis to wake up.

"She's still asleep," Tikaani said. "But she's not dead."

Despite the cold delivery, they were welcomed words. He gently nudged Sunni in hopes of getting a response. She didn't open her eyes or even shift in position; she was completely undisturbed by the motion. For Gruffi, this could only mean one thing.

Gruffi felt his heart sink and he made no effort to hold back his tears. Tikaani stood behind him with her face void of emotion. She placed her hand on Gruffi's shoulder as she looked down to Sunni, but said nothing.

"Gruffi?"

"Tikaani, I don't…" Gruffi trailed off. That wasn't Tikaani's voice. It was far more high-pitched. There was a raspy sound to it and it was followed by a very soft cough. Gruffi raised his eyes to Sunni to see her staring back at him through half-lidded eyes.

"Gruffi, how long was I asleep?"

"Sunni!" There were still tears in his eyes as he hugged her tightly. Sunni weakly returned the hug, her body still recovering from her ordeal. "Can I get you anything, sweetie? Water?"

Sunni nodded. "Water, please?"

Gruffi didn't need to be asked twice. He hurried out of the room to both fetch her a glass and to alert the others. Tikaani was left alone with the cub as Sunni sized her up.

"Who are you?" Sunni asked.

"A friend."

"Of Gruffi's?"

Tikaani hesitated. "Yes."

"I don't remember seeing you before…."

"A lot has happened while you slept."

"Oh…"

"Sunni?" Grammi opened her eyes. "Sunni, darling!" She jolted upright and immediately hugged the younger gummi. "We were so worried about you!"

"How long was I asleep?"

"Four days," Buddi answered. Grammi's excited shout had startled him awake. "We were scared you might never wake up."

Grammi moved out of Buddi's way so the two cubs could hug. "I'm sorry I scared everyone," Sunni said.

"We're just happy you're safe," Buddi assured her. The two hugged awhile longer as Grammi woke the rest of the Glen family. As soon as the others were alert, Sunni was bombarded with hugs, well wishes and all the love she could stand. Tikaani took that as her cue to leave. Without a word, she headed downstairs. Gruffi pulled away from the group when he noticed her absence, reaching her just as she placed her hand on the doorknob.

"Leaving without so much as a goodbye?"

"My work here is done."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Gruffi struggled with his words. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did for us. Sunni wouldn't have made it without you."

Tikaani nodded. "I will see you another time."

"Um, yeah." Gruffi paused. "Wait a sec."

Gruffi disappeared into the kitchen for a moment before reemerging with a bottle of gummiberry juice in his hand. "Here," he said as he handed it to her. "You might need this sometime."

Tikaani glanced at the juice in her hand and nodded to him, but said nothing.

"So," Gruffi said. "Take care."

"Same to you." The goodbye wasn't an emotional one, yet it felt fitting. As the door shut behind her, Gruffi had a feeling that wasn't the last he would see of her. They'd been through too much for it to simply end there, he thought. On that note, he decided to return to Sunni. She'd want to know all about everything that had happened while she was asleep.

Gruffi would never admit it aloud, but he was excited to share every moment of it with the others.


	4. A Cub in King Gregor’s Court

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank One Lucky Unicorn from ff.net for beta reading this.

"I still don't know who half these bears are."

Gruffi stared at the piece of paper in his hand. The list went on for what seemed like miles with unfamiliar names and affiliations. The Glens had been shifting through the notes given to them by Valentina for hours. The council had needed a replacement for Lady Bloodberry as the Chancellor of Magic since her betrayal and the council had always been decided through a democratic process. At first, the Glens had planned to sit out on the first election – due to a lack of knowledge on the candidates – but they soon learned that the citizens of New Gumbrea practice compulsory voting for gummis 18 years of age and above. Not wanting to appear to be above the law, the Glens knew they would have to sit down and really study the candidates.

"I'm just glad Valentina was kind enough to make us these notes," Zummi said. "We'd be at a complete loss without them."

"Wasn't Gusto supposed to be here with us?" Gruffi asked.

"I think he said he was going to try to figure it out with Kaia," Grammi said.

Gruffi scoffed. "Of course."

Gruffi let the conversation drop; there was no reason to dwell on Gusto's flakiness. As far as Gruffi was concerned, it was expected of the artist gummi. They returned their attention to reviewing facts and trying to piece together what it all meant. They conversation threatened to turn heated as they weighed the pros and cons of each candidate. Tummi was torn on which candidate he preferred, but by the end of the discussion he was certain that Grammi and Gruffi would most likely never vote along the same party lines. As the conversation was beginning to come to a close, Cubby made his way into the kitchen in hopes of finding something to satisfy his sweet tooth. Snatching one from the cookie jar on the counter, he squeezed his way in-between Grammi and Gruffi.

"Did you guys pick who to vote for yet?"

"Some of us have, Cubbi dear," Grammi said.

"Just some of you?"

Grammi nodded. "Voting is a complicated process, dear, especially when you don't know any of these bears from a hole in the ground," she said. "We've been trying to read up on everyone, but that can take some time."

Cubbi nodded in understanding. He glanced at the list and began to read over the names. They meant nothing to the cub, but they did spark an idea. "Hey, I have an idea," he said. "Maybe we can ask the council if they could vote on alliance with King Gregor."

"We could, but…" Grammi exchanged a look with Gruffi. "I don't think that vote would turn out how you hope, sweetie."

"Why not?"

"Everyone's just getting settled here," Grammi explained. "And I think they still need some time to adjust to the idea of humans being around again."

Cubbi frowned. "You think maybe, if we give them some time, my voting idea will work?"

"Maybe, sugar," Grammi said.

"Cubbi, how about you just go play somewhere?" Gruffi asked.

"Can I go see Cavin?" Cubbi had a feeling that the adults were trying to avoid discussing the subject. The upside was that he knew there was a chance they would feel guilty enough to let him see his friend; sometimes when adults felt guilty, kids had a better chance of getting whatever they asked for. It didn't always work, but it was worth a shot.

"Well," Grammi said. "If you're careful and if you're home by supper time."

"Thanks, Grammi!" Cubbi hugged her before gleefully exiting the room. The castle had begun to settle down in recent weeks when they felt it would be some time before they had to worry about Igthorn. No one was even sure if Igthorn would return to be a genuine threat. The adults had felt it was safe to allow the cubs to go back to visiting Cavin and the princess even if they were a lot more careful about inviting their human friends to Ursalia. The whereabouts of Lady Bloodberry were still unknown and it was far too dangerous for Calla to risk her safety by coming to Ursalia.

Cubbi and Calvin didn't see as much of each other as they once did, but the quick tunnels did allow them to spend some time together despite the increased distance. The Glens were the only bears in the city that regularly ventured to Dunwyn which did occasionally stir gossip and disapproval among the newer gummis. Cubbi never let that get in the way of visiting old friends. It was only a matter of minutes before he reached Dunwyn. Cubbi carefully navigated through the secret passage ways built into the walls and floors of the castle to search for Cavin. It wasn't long before he found him in the stables, saddling up one of the horses.

When Cubbi was certain they were the only two there, he called out to his friend. "Cavin!"

"Cubbi?" Cavin smiled.

"How's it going, Cav?" Cubbi asked. Before Cavin could give him an answer, he turned his eyes to Cavin's horse. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah," Cavin said. "I made plans with Sir Tuxford. I didn't realize you were coming…."

"Oh." Cubbi frowned.

"I'm really sorry, Cubbi."

It was a disappointment, but Cubbi had shown up unannounced. "It's okay," he said. "You think I could come back tomorrow instead?"

When Cavin nodded, Cubbi's smile returned. "I can meet you out by Gummi Glen."

"Okay!"

"I better get going," Cavin said. "Sir Tuxford is waiting for me."

Their goodbyes were brief with the knowledge they would see each other the next day. Gummi Glen was the easiest landmark to settle on in spite of all the sad memories it would conjure up. Cubbi was unable to enter the place he grew up in out of fear it would completely cave in on him; it was unstable and most of it had been covered up to hide it away from prying eyes. Being so close to the place that he once considered him home and unable to enter was almost unbearable.

Before he would call the day a loss, Cubbi would check in on Calla. If her day was free, he wouldn't have to call it a day wasted. She was a lot closer to Sunni, but it didn't diminish the friendship she and Cubbi had. The secret passage way would lead him to the hallway just outside Calla's room. While Sunni would sometimes chance popping up in Calla's room, Cubbi figured it would have been rude for him to do the same. The passage opening closest to her room was some distance away. It would require Cubbi to be quick on his feet to make it to Calla's door without being spotted. As he began to poke his head out, he could hear the familiar voice of Princess Calla. He couldn't make out what she had said, but he recognized her voice. Carefully, he poked his head out.

"Calla?" He caught sight of her golden braid as she turned the corner. He quickly moved to follow suit, hoping to catch up to her before anyone else arrived. As he turned the corner, he skidded to a stop. Calla wasn't alone as he first thought; she was speaking to one of the guards. He quickly retreated back around the corner to keep out of the guard's line of vision. When he turned to rush back to the secret tunnel, he noticed another guard heading in his direction. Panicked, Cubbi knew he had to get out of there. He scurried into the King's chambers. It was unlikely King Gregor would be inside, he reasoned. The king would be far too busy to be alone in his room.

Or so Cubbi had thought.

The cub's heart was pounding as Gregor towered over him. Neither said a word. The entire world was on hold as Cubbi held his breath. He was sure that they would have heard a pin drop with the dead silence they shared. Gregor held the gummi's gaze. It was all too clear the monarch had been caught equally off-guard; his eyes were as wide as saucers and his mouth agape.

"How did you get in here?"

"I-I…." Cubbi was at a loss for words. There wasn't anything he could do or say that would rectify this situation. Then it occurred to him, Gregor didn't seem alarmed by his appearance. "Your majesty, I-"

"Are you one of the maids' little boys?" Gregor asked. His tone was gentle; there wasn't anger or fear in his voice. It was clear that he believed he was speaking with an innocent child. He bent down on one knee to bring himself closer to Cubbi. "My goodness, that is an amazing gummi bear costume."

Cubbi didn't have time to be relieved. He felt the man's hand on his ear and, before he could protest, the man gave his ear a harsh tug. He was attempting to get Cubbi's non-existent mask off and Cubbi didn't know how to stop it from happening. Cubbi managed to jerk away after another tug or two with King Gregor watching the small cub in confusion.

"Is… Are you…?" Gregor reached out again to touch the cub's face. "This can't be. A… gummi bear?" King Gregor finally managed in his stupor.

"No!" Cubbi nearly choked on the word. "No, I'm not…."

Cubbi was unable to stop himself from laughing as Gregor's fingers brushed against the base of his ear. The action cut him off in mid-sentence and he cursed his body for its reaction. Cubbi jerked away from the man's curious hand once again and started to reach for his gummiberry juice. He only paused when Gregor spoke again.

"I'm sorry," Gregor apologized. The King must have realized how inappropriate the action was. "It's… You really are a gummi bear, aren't you?"

Cubbi didn't know what to do. His heart was pounding and his chest grew heavy with anxiety; this was not how he wanted to introduce himself to King Gregor. It wasn't even the time he wanted to do it. Cubbi swallowed hard as he was unable to come up with any lie or excuse to escape. There was still a matter of the guards outside the king's quarters that would most definitely spot him if they were just outside the door.

"All these years, I thought you were just fairy tales," Gregor continued. "A cautionary tale of what human greed can do. I never imagined…."

"Y-your majesty!" Afraid and unsure of himself, Cubbi gave what was definitely an awkward bow to Gregor. "I… Uh."

What words could Cubbi say? Nothing had prepared him for such a moment. It had been difficult getting to know Cavin and Calla in their early days. This was a whole world apart from that.

"It's alright, little one," Gregor said. He knelt down to be closer to the cub. "I won't harm you."

King Gregor had no inkling of just how aware Cubbi was of that fact. The cub didn't fear the King; he knew that Gregor would never bring harm to him. The risk came when others found out. Princess Calla was able to be trusted with their secret, but there was a very real possibility that the King's knowledge could lead to someone less trustworthy finding out. Cubbi knew that his fellow gummis would be angered by the reveal as well.

"Are there more of you?" King Gregor asked.

Cubbi hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should tell the truth or lie. Either could have negative consequences. If he lied, he didn't know what might happen if King Gregor eventually learned the truth or how he might react if he believed Cubbi was alone. Adults were always on edge when they found out children had no guardians to return to. On the other hand, revealing that there were others could put them in dangers even if King Gregor had no intention of harming them.

"Y-yes," he said. He decided to tell the truth. There was safety in numbers and, as long as Gregor didn't know where they were, they would be safe. He would give no hints as to how many there were. Gregor didn't need numbers and fingers; all he would need to know is that they existed.

King Gregor collapsed onto his bed. He brought a hand up to his forehead as he stared at Cubbi in alarm. "I can't believe this," he said. Cubbi didn't know what to say to the king. He seemed so taken aback by what he was looking at. He waited for the king to say something but it was clear he was too shaken to say much.

"You've been hiding all this time?" King Gregor was still trying to wrap his brain around this. "All of you? What am I asking? Of course you have." He seemed so distraught. "All those people that came to me about gummi bears and I just brushed them off. They were telling the truth and I didn't believe them."

"That's not your fault," Cubbi said. He hadn't expected to see guilt overtake the king at this discovery. Cubbi couldn't help but feel guilty. Gregor had always been so dedicated to protecting his people that the idea that he had brushed off people who were telling the truth was upsetting to him.

"We're really good at hiding," Cubbi continued. "It's what kept us safe for so long. We didn't want people to believe in us."

King Gregor studied the small cub for a moment. "Why are you here?" He asked.

"I, uh…." Cubbi couldn't tell him. If he found out that Calla and Cavin knew about them, there was no telling what kind of trouble they would be in. "I wanted to see the castle. Yeah, I always heard stories about what it was like here and I wanted to see for myself."

"But it's dangerous for you here, little one."

King Gregor was sounding like a calmer Gruffi; that was something the older bear would have scolded him with if Gruffi had been in Gregor's position. Cubbi would never understand why adults worried so much about everything.

"You don't have to worry about me," Cubbi said, proudly. "I know how to take care of myself."

"Do your parents know you're here?"

It wasn't an unexpected question, but there was something a little painful about it. "I don't have parents," Cubbi said. "Gruffi and Grammi watch out for me."

"Well then, do Gruffi and Grammi know you're here?"

"Yeah, I told them I was coming here before I left," Cubbi said. It wasn't a lie. He was just omitting a few key elements. "They know I'm big enough to explore on my own!" Again, it wasn't the complete truth, but they did trust him enough to let him come to the castle on his own.

"I still can't believe you're real," King Gregor said. He seemed satisfied with Cubbi's reply and now that his parental concerns were extinguished, he could return to his disbelief. When the King heard a heavy knock at the door, he got to his feet in alarm. Cubbi quickly hid underneath the King's bed without a moment's hesitation.

"Your majesty," the guard said, voice muffled by the door. "The Duke of Cornwell is here to speak with you."

"I'll be there in a moment," King Gregor replied. "Just give me a few minutes to tidy myself up."

"Yes, your highness!"

King Gregor waited as he listened to the guard walk away from the door; when he no longer heard the clanking of his armor, he felt safe in assuming the guard had returned to his post. The king turned his attention back to Cubbi.

"You should probably take your leave, little one."

Cubbi nodded. It would have been best for him to return home at this point. Things had already spiraled far out of his control and were becoming more and more dangerous with each passing minute. He was relieved that King Gregor had yet to call upon his guards to see him or anyone else for that matter. He hadn't even attempted to call Calla to his room.

King Gregor escorted the little bear out of his room. The two carefully glanced around for any sign of the guards. When the coast was clear, the two turned the corner to the secret passage that Cubbi had entered from. He felt there was no harm in letting King Gregor see one of the entrances; he wouldn't pose a threat to their safety. They were saying their goodbyes when they heard the clinking of armor of the approaching guards.

"Quickly, little one," Gregor said. He helped boost Cubbi into the secret passage. "You have to go before they see you."

"You aren't going to tell them?"

"No, I believe they don't need to know just yet."

Cubbi gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, your highness."

King Gregor shook his head. "All I ask is that you return to visit me again."

"I will, your majesty!" Cubbi exclaimed before disappearing into the darkness of the escape tunnel. Gregor shut the stone behind him before heading out to meet the guard. Cubbi felt a rush of excitement surge through him as he hurried back to the quick cars that would take him home. He knew he would have to tell the others about what had just happened. The trip home was agonizingly slow with the news he had to tell them. Once he had arrived home, however, he was beginning to wish the trip had been a bit longer.

"You what?" He should have been able to have predicted Gruffi's reaction. He couldn't really blame him for it either. Cubbi had completely blown centuries of hiding in a single day through one act of carelessness. Gruffi had every right to be mad as much as he hated to admit it.

"It was an accident, Gruffi," Cubbi said.

"And he didn't tell the others?" Sunni asked.

"No, he didn't!" Cubbi grinned. "He helped me escape and asked me to come back soon."

"If it was anyone but King Gregor, I'd think it was a trap," Grammi admitted. "You were lucky it was King Gregor that found you and not one of the guards!"

"I hope all of you realize what this means," Gruffi said.

The others turned their attention to Gruffi. Cubbi didn't really understand what the gruff bear had meant. The cub turned his eyes to Grammi; her brows were knit together with concern. Zummi kept his head low as it was clear both of them knew exactly what Gruffi had meant. He glanced to Tummi and Sunni, unable to read the expressions on their faces. At least it was likely Tummi was as confused as he was. Sunni would be hit or miss. Some of the time, she knew exactly what the adults were talking about. Grammi had mentioned it was because girls mature faster than boys. Her fast-acting maturity seemed to give her some insight to how adults think.

"Cubbi," Gruffi called for his attention. "We have to tell the council."

Cubbi had forgotten all about the council. He briefly debated suggesting that they not saying a word to them, but he knew that would never fly with the others. It wouldn't even be possible to keep it from them forever. Of course they'd need to know about what happened. Although he feared what repercussions might await him, he hoped that maybe this would be the beginning of good things for human-gummi relations.

Perhaps he would get the vote he longed for after all.


	5. The Invisible Treaty

Cubbi squirmed in his seat. Gruffi sat beside him as they awaited their turn to speak with the council. Cubbi feared the retribution he might face, especially if it meant that his family would get the brunt of it. He wasn’t ignorant to the fact that adults often paid the price for the children’s actions. Zummi was currently pacing in front of them with Gruffi’s irritated glare on him. Zummi’s nervousness was enough to keep Cubbi on edge.

“Would you sit down?” Gruffi finally asked. “You’re making the kid nervous.”

Cubbi wasn’t sure if Gruffi was genuinely concerned about Cubbi’s nerves or his own.

“I’m sorry, Gruffi,” Zummi said. “I’m nust be mervous – must be nervous. I didn’t even realize I was doing it.”

“Well now you do,” Gruffi said. “So sit down.”

“You could stand to calm down yourself.” Grammy glared at Gruffi. “There’s no need for all of us to get so worked up.”

Cubbi frowned. “Do you think it’ll be okay?” He hadn’t wanted to admit to the fear welling up inside of him, but he needed some sense of comfort. He knew the adults would be honest yet reassuring. He didn’t know what to expect from the council. They could react in a number of ways and there was a chance it wouldn’t end well for the Glens. Tummi and Sunni were absent. Gruffi felt that it would be best if they stayed home. If it hadn’t been for the fact Cubbi was the one who had messed up, he would have been at home with them. Gruffi had become a bit more protective of the children since Sunni’s illness and he admitted he wasn’t that fond of getting them involved in politics.

“Everything will be fine, Cubbi,” Zummi said. He placed a reassuring hand on Cubbi’s shoulder. “Just explain it to them the way you explained it to us.” 

“Do you think they’ll get mad?”

“They might,” Gruffi admitted. “But they’d be even angrier if we kept our mouths shut about it. We can’t keep this under wraps.”

“What if they kick us out of Ursalia?” Cubbi asked. “Or if they want to put me in jail? Or-”

“They won’t put you in jail, sweetheart,” Grammi said.

“Don’t rile yourself up, Cubster.” Gusto had agreed to accompany them once he’d heard about what happened. Cubbi had overheard him telling Gruffi that he would have been a lousy friend to stay behind. “Let’s just cross each bridge as we come to it, okay?”

“I hate to agree with Gusto, but he’s right,” Gruffi said. “And we’ll deal with whatever happens together, alright? There’s no use making up a bunch of doomsday scenarios when we don’t know what they’re going to say.”

Cubbi did feel a bit relieved knowing that his family would be by his side for the entire ordeal. It was still the most terrifying moment of his life; it was worse than going up against Igthorn. He leaned against Gruffi for comfort. It had been a long time since the cub had clung to the older bears for their comforting affection. He found himself doing it a bit more often since they had lost the Glen. The loss of their home had cause a lot of uneasiness for the cub. They had focused their energies on the future and adjusting to Ursalia, but it was during the quiet or stressful moments that it really hit Cubbi. At night, he didn’t have much else to think about aside from the loss of everything he’d ever known. It was only during the day that it was easy not to think about it; there were plenty of sights and sound to distract him in the daylight hours. Cubbi jumped when the door to the council room slammed shut. He was confused to see Tikaani standing by the door. 

Zummi blinked. “Tikaani? What are you doing here?”

“I had business with the council.”

“Business?” Zummi readjusted his glasses. “What sort of business?”

“They asked me to escort a ship.”

“Are you bringing back more of the Great Gummis?” Cubbi asked. 

Tikaani looked down at the cub. “Yes,” she said. “Many stayed behind in New Gumbrea and they’ve decided it’s time for them to return to Ursalia.”

“That’ll be quite a trip,” Gruffi commented. “You’ll be sure to take gummiberry juice with you this time, right?”

“I don’t believe I’ll need it.”

“Like how you didn’t need it on that mountain.”

“I had a plan of my own,” she said. “Yours just happened to work, too.”

Gruffi scoffed. “I’ll bet you did.”

“Tikaani,” Grammi interrupted. “I never had a chance to properly thank you. We’d love to have you for dinner one night. Treating you to a good meal is the least we can do.”

“You planning to have the meal catered?” Gusto joked. He nudged Cubbi with his elbow slightly to get a smile out of the cub. Grammi paid no mind to Gusto’s commentary.

Tikaani hesitated. She looked at each member of the group before locking eyes with Gruffi. She turned her attention back to Grammi. “Alright,” she agreed.

Grammi was the one who set up the dinner arrangements with Tikaani. Things were tense and Tikaani was a welcomed distraction. Being able to plan for an evening with Tikaani took their minds off the situation at hand for at least a few minutes. After some small talk, mostly on Grammi’s end, Tikaani took her leave.

Immediately after Tikaani departed from the building, they heard a nasally voice call to them. “Glens?” The group turned their attention to the voice’s owner. There was a small, bespectacled gummi standing beside the door and holding it open. “They’re ready to see you.”

“Well, time to pay the piper,” Gusto said.

The Glens entered the council’s chambers. The tall ceilings and intricate designs on the walls were as intimidating as they had been since the Glens had last visited. Every piece of art in the room told a story of gummi history as did the stain glass windows. There had been some additions to the room since the Glens had first returned to Ursalia. The Great Gummis had brought a great deal of antiques and heirlooms with them from New Gumbrea. 

Chancellor Berrybaum smiled. “Hello and welcome, Glens,” he said. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You said you had urgent business?” Ours was always one to cut to the heart of the issue.

“Yes,” Zummi spoke first. “We had some very nmportant iews – important news. Cubbi?” He turned to the cub. “Maybe you should tell them in your own words.”

Cubbi took to the floor, visibly shaking. He tried to disguise it by standing straight. He had to be brave. Gummi knights would face a situation like this head on; he had to keep his fears well-hidden. He started to explain what had happened. When he spoke of his encounter with King Gregor, he could see Berrybaum and Ours’ eyes widening. Ours’ kept looking to Berrybaum with his mouth agape. Neither bear uttered a word during Cubbi’s tale. He began to speak hurriedly at their reactions. The surprised slack-jawed expressions on their faces were not encouraging. When he finished, there was an uncomfortable silence. 

Unsurprisingly, Ours was the first to let his thoughts be known. “You let the king know about us?”

“It was an accident!”

“You just ‘accidentally’ revealed our existence to a monarch?” Ours demanded. “A monarch with an army that could wipe out our entire civilization.”

“King Gregor would never do that,” Cubbi argued.

“He’s a human,” Ours said. “Of course he would.”

“Vice Chancellor Ours,” Zummi said. “I understand your concerns, but King Gregor is a good man. You’ve met his daughter Calla and–”

“Children are different,” Ours argued. “Human children are far more innocent and easier to reach.”

“Ours, calm yourself,” Chancellor Berrybaum said. He leaned forward in his seat as he spoke to the Glens. “Could you confidently say that you trust King Gregor?”

“Yes, Chancellor,” Zummi said. “We can.”

“He helped me escape,” Cubbi said. “He made sure none of the guards saw me. If he was going to tell everyone about me, he would have already done it.”

Berrybaum nodded. “Then we will discuss what to do.”

“Chancellor –”

“Ours, please.” Berrybaum raised a hand to request his silence. “There’s no use quarrelling about this. He knows of our existence and there’s no changing it.”

“Does this mean we might be able to be friends with the king?” Cubbi asked, hopefully.

“We will see, child,” Berrybaum said. “I want to personally thank you for your honesty.”

Ours sighed. “I suppose that is one thing we can agree on,” he admitted. “We both appreciate all of you coming to us immediately.”

Berrybaum smiled slightly at Ours’ admission. “Now,” he said. “Ours and I will discuss the matter further in private.”

“Don’t you think we should be part of this discussion?” Grammi asked. “Seeing how it involves us and all.”

Berrybaum shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not,” he said. “This is something that we must speak about alone. We can’t treat your opinions as being more important than the rest of our people.”

“With all due respect, we’re not asking for special treatment,” Zummi said. “We’ve been in contact with humans at the castle long before any of you arrived here. We know Dunwyn far more intimately than anyone else here.”

“I appreciate the concern, but my decision is final,” Berrybaum said. “Once we’ve discussed the issue, we will contact you. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Chancellor,” Zummi said, defeated. Berrybaum wasn’t an unreasonable bear, but it was clear he would not budge on this. The Glens were escorted out of the main hall and encouraged to return to their homes. Cubbi was just glad it was over. They hadn’t been banished from Ursalia and there was a chance that the gummis might form an alliance with the Kingdom of Dunwyn. It was still slightly unsatisfying. It felt unresolved. Being completely locked out of the decision making was maddening. They knew the people of Dunwyn better than anyone. They were the ones who first befriended Calla and Cavin. It would have only been fair to take their opinions into account. It wasn’t valuing their opinion above everyone else’s. They just had experiences that no one else could boast.

Inside the council’s chambers, Ours paced about the room. The plump bear had no set course and kept moving to various spots throughout the room. Chancellor Berrybaum remained seated with his fingertips pressed together.

“This will be the end of us,” Ours stated, grimly. 

“Don’t be dramatic, Tamerlane.”  

“Francis, I don’t know if you recall, but the last time humans knew about gummis, we were almost completely destroyed.”

“That was many years ago,” Berrybaum said. “Times have changed. Humans have changed.”

“You’re a fool if you really believe that.” Ours let out a frustrated sigh. “For once, I wish Lady Bloodberry were still with us,” Ours said. “She would have at least had the sense to agree with me.”

“Lady Bloodberry allowed her bitterness to blind her.”

“Yes, but it didn’t mean she was always wrong. She was a smart woman who knew humans can’t be trusted.”

Berrybaum shook his head. “We have to come out of hiding eventually,” he said. “We’ll have to try integrating with human society at one point.”

“Let’s say that’s true,” he said. “Let’s say that one day we _will_ have to integrate. I believe that we’re making our move far too soon.”

“It is sooner than I would have liked,” Berrybaum admitted. “Unfortunately, life doesn’t always let you do things at your own pace. He already knows we exist and we need to take control of the situation before anything goes wrong. Taking action now might be what saves us rather than destroys us.”

Ours leaned back in his chair. “Fine,” he said. “But this will be on your head, Berrybaum. When this all goes wrong, I’ll… I’ll be there to pick up the pieces, but I won’t be happy about it.”

Berrybaum smiled. “It’ll be alright, Ours,” he promised. “We’ll be alright.” 

“I hope you’re right about that.”

“We will ask for audience with the king,” Berrybaum said. “One of us will meet with him, in secrecy, to see where we want to go from here.”

Ours begrudgingly agreed to Berrybaum’s plan. Once everything was decided, the two left to inform the Glens. Berrybaum felt it was necessary to keep it under wraps until everything was handled. He felt the citizens of Ursalia did not need to know until more information had been gathered. Ours had, as usual, disagreed with the decision, but he would honor Berrybaum’s order.

The two bears had been completely unaware of the extra pair of eyes that had been watching from the shadows.

* * *

There was a chill in the air; the draft was inescapable. Lady Bloodberry curled her fingers around the arm of her throne. The old Yorkenshire castle was suitable for her current needs although she had no intention of remaining there for long. She had spent much of her time lying low since her banishment. She would occasionally send a scout to gather intelligence from Ursalia and Dunwyn. The majority of her time was spent wasting away in an old human castle. Much to her dismay, she only had access to human books. They were primitive and embarrassing when compared to the works of great literature produced by gummis.

“Brome!” Lady Bloodberry’s shrill call echoed throughout the castle. During her time away, she had found an assistant in a bugbear. He had been turned away by his clan and he had since allied himself with Lady Bloodberry to take advantage of her power. In exchange, he offered his services as a spy.

“You shrieked, my lady?” The stout bugbear was only a few feet taller than Lady Bloodberry. Brome’s minimal amount of armor allowed for his fossil gray skin to be clearly visible around his chest and legs. He had bracers and metal shoulder pads strapped to his body with strong leather straps. He had a kilt-like garment made with the fur of a brown bear; he often boasted killing the creature with his own hands, but Lady Bloodberry had paid much mind to his tall tales. His lower jaw slightly jutted out while tusk-like teeth pointed skyward. He had no muzzle, but his black nose reminded Lady Bloodberry of a dog’s.

“Have you heard any news?”

“Funny you should ask,” he said. His gravelly voice was becoming a familiar aspect of Lady Bloodberry’s life. “I got you a very piquant morsel of info when I went down to Ursalia.”

Lady Bloodberry’s ears perked up. “Continue.”

Brome began to explain in detail everything he had heard. He had been lurking in the shadows of Ursalia for only a matter of days, but it seemed his timing was ideal. He had caught wind of Cubbi’s encounter with King Gregor. It was with some very careful planning and great skill he was able to stay hidden within Ursalia’s City Hall. He’d had the chance to sit in on the meeting the Glens had with the council, soaking up every word that was uttered by both parties. After Berrybaum and Ours had parted ways, he’d returned to Lady Bloodberry to make a full report. Lady Bloodberry listened to every word of his tale with rapt attention.

“Those idiots!” Lady Bloodberry cried. “They are going to get themselves completely wiped out! I knew those Glen Gummis would be our undoing. They’re too soft-hearted toward humans.”

“I can’t blame you for being a little upset about all this,” Brome said. “I have to say, it seems like poor plannin’ to me, too. Getting’ humans involved can only lead to trouble. But I’m thinkin’ it won’t take ‘em long to figure that out. Humans always show their true colors.”

“But it might be too late before they realize the mistake they’ve made,” Lady Bloodberry said. “Every so often, you will find a human with a genuine interest in our kind. But King Gregor’s knowledge of us will eventually spread to his entire race. That, my dear Brome, is when the trouble will begin for my fellow gummis.”

“So what do you propose?”

“We must sour the alliance before it can take root,” Lady Bloodberry said.

“And how do you reckon we’re gonna do that?”

“Return to me in the morning,” Lady Bloodberry said. “I will have devised a plan by then that I will need your assistance with.”

“If you say so,” Brome said. “I’ll leave you to it then. I got a few errands of my own to run, but I’ll be back in the morn.”

Lady Bloodberry nodded as the bugbear took his leave. She was grateful for his assistance now more than ever. She had initially thought she would regret their partnership. It was one of the few times she was pleased to be able to say she was wrong. With her companion gone, she turned her attention to her plotting.

* * *

“A gummi-human alliance?” Cavin could hardly believe the words were coming out of his mouth. He’d had hopes of this happening. He thought it wouldn’t have been until his later years. Maybe it would have been had Cubbi not been accidentally discovered by King Gregor. Cubbi was lucky that the council decided against punishing him, he thought.

“Isn’t it great?” Cubbi asked. “Chancellor Berrybaum announced it this morning! They’re going to try and talk to King Gregor. I think Chancellor Berrybaum wants to make a treaty and everything!”

“I never thought I’d live to see this day,” Sir Gawain said. He sat a few feet from the children. Cubbi and Sunni hadn’t felt safe in inviting all of their human friends to Ursalia for the time being; they came to them instead. 

Princess Calla was practically bursting with excitement. “I know father will accept the offer! I’ll finally be able to introduce all of you to him.” She let out a little gasp before turning to Sunni. “You could even be my handmaiden.”

“Really?” Sunni may have dreamed of being a princess, but a handmaiden was a good compromise. “Does that mean I would live at the castle?”

“Of course!” Calla and Sunni giggled as they hugged one another. “We’d see each other every day!”

“And I could come visit all the time,” Cubbi said. “I won’t even have to care if anyone sees me.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t get too ahead of ourselves.” Cavin wanted to be as excited as his friends. He was happy about the arrangement, but doubt had a way of creeping in on joyous celebrating. “We should wait and see how everything goes. King Gregor might not want to tell anyone about the gummis yet.”

“That’s true,” Calla admitted. “If he doesn’t think people are ready, I don’t think he’d want everyone knowing about you yet.”

Sunni frowned. She was already getting her handmaiden title snatched away from her. It didn’t take long for her to perk up again. “But at least we can still visit more. We wouldn’t have to sneak around as much.”

“Precisely,” Calla said. “And if all goes well, we’ll have to tell Marie!”

“I thought you hated Princess Marie.”

“Oh Cavin, that’s all in the past! We’re good friends now.”

Cavin looked to his grandfather and Cubbi with a shrug. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to keep up with royal in-fighting.”

“Gruffi says that kind of stuff never makes sense,” Cubbi said.

“You guys just don’t understand diplomacy,” Sunni said.

Sir Gawain had been lost in thought for most of the conversation. He marked his return to the conversation by speaking up. “This alliance will be the greatest thing to ever happen to Dunwyn.”

“You think so, gramps?”

“I know so,” Sir Gawain said. “If King Gregor sees to it, we will be able to fight side by side against our enemies. Gummis are some of the bravest warriors that I have ever seen. If I were to ever go to war with them as my comrades, I would be honored! No matter who our enemy was, I would be able to count on any gummi knight who might come to our aid. Speaking of which, have I ever told you about the time a gummi bear saved my life?”

“Only every time we see you, gramps.” 

“Sir Gawain is right.” Cubbi leapt to his feet. “If humans and gummis team up, we’ll be unstoppable against any foe!”

Calla chuckled. “I hate to break this up, my brave warriors, but I should probably be getting back to the castle. Father said he wanted me home early today.”

Cavin nodded. “I should probably be getting back too. You coming gramps?”

“No, Cavin,” he said. “I have some business to take care of. I’m afraid I won’t be back for a few days.”

“A few days?” Cubbi repeated. “But what if you miss the treaty signing? You might miss the most important historical event since… ever!”

“I hope to be home in time for that,” he said. “But I promised Countess Hardwick that I would escort her nephew and niece back home to their parents, and I never break a promise.”

“We understand, Sir Gawain,” Calla said. “We wish you luck on your journey.”

“Yeah,” Cavin said. “And we hope you’re home in time to see King Gregor make history.”

“As do I,” he said. “I thank you for the encouragement children, but I must be going. Good day, your highness.” He bowed to her in a knightly fashion. The group parted ways filled with hope for what the future would bring. Cubbi and Sunni returned home to Ursalia through the tunnels. Sunni spent the majority of the trip chattering away about her future as a handmaiden. Cubbi couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Just because he was happy for her didn’t mean he wanted to hear her go on about it at length. Rather than complain, he decided to daydream about being a gummi knight being able to fight alongside Sir Cavin.

* * *

The smell of fish had filled the kitchen in the Glen household. With Tikaani and Kaia coming for dinner, she hadn’t been sure what to make that would make them feel at home. She’d never been to either Palulupea or Tukturjuk. She only had vague facts listed in the books in the library to guide her. There was very little written about those two gummi clans. She only assumed that fish might be a familiar and welcomed dish. She put her own Grammi spin on it of course.

“Grammi, you sure you don’t want any help?” Tummi asked.  He watched as Grammi pull the little fish-shaped pies out of the oven. He began to reach for one when Grammi smacked his hand away.

“I’m fine, Tummi,” she said. “Besides you’d probably eat all of it before I could get it to the table.”

Grammi took the pies out to set them on the table. They would be cool enough to eat once their guests arrived if they were on schedule. Gruffi approached the table with a doubtful look. Salmon pies weren’t among the usual culinary tragedies that Grammi was prone to making. He still worried about how they would ultimately taste. When Grammi returned to the kitchen, Gusto came up from behind Gruffi to look over the spread.

“I’m a little surprised to say that this actually looks pretty good.”

“That’s just because you’re getting used to her cooking,” Gruffi said. “The girls aren’t. I just hope Tikaani doesn’t think we’re trying to poison her.”

“Maybe that was Grammi’s plan all along,” he teased. Gusto became uncharacteristically sullen for a moment. “Hey Gruff?”

“Yeah?”

“You think we’re doing the right thing?”

“Inviting them to dinner?”

“No, no, I mean the whole revealing ourselves for an alliance thing,” he said. “Do you think it’s a good idea?”

Gruffi scoffed. “If they’d asked me, I would told them they were nuts. I already feel like too many humans know about us as it is. Even if King Gregor doesn’t mean us any harm, an alliance just opens the door to the ones that do.”

“But at least we’ll have the king’s protection, right?”

“I don’t count on anything when it comes to humans.”

Gruffi had a feeling the younger bear was looking to him for words of reassurance. He would have been better off going to Zummi or Grammi for that; they had a much more optimistic outlook on everything. But Gusto had always appreciated Gruffi’s honesty in matters like these. Gruffi assumed that was what motivated him to ask him over the others.

“Kaia said something like that.” He frowned.

“I guess that girl does have a brain in her head then.”

“I just expected her to be a little more optimistic, I guess,” Gusto admitted. “Normally she’s not so doom and gloom.”

“Well, the New Gumbrean gummis have a different outlook on dealing with humans.”

“She didn’t grow up in New Gumbrea though, remember?” Gusto asked. “And she seems nervous about the council, too.”

“The council?”

“Yeah, I don’t really get why, but–”

“Boys, I need you to help me with getting the table ready.” Grammi’s voice coming from the kitchen interrupted what Gusto was about to say. The conversation died out after Grammi commandeered them for help. Each bear became distracted with the tasks Grammi assigned them. She wanted everything to be perfect for the guests. The house looked more lived in than it had before. It was like someone’s home rather than an old abandoned house.

The cubs arrived home just before the guests arrived. When Kaia and Tikaani entered, they were greeted and immediately shown to their seats. Grammi didn’t want the food to have a chance to grow cold. Sunni sulked when Kaia managed to procure the seat beside Gusto.  It was even worse when Cubbi plopped down in the seat on the other side of Gusto. He didn’t even seem to care he’d blocked Sunni from having a chance to sit beside him.

She sat beside Tikaani instead. If she couldn’t sit beside Gusto, she would at least be able to sit near Tikaani. The woman was fascinating to the young girl. While Cubbi could fawn over the gummi knights, Sunni had yet to meet too many female gummis who acted as warriors aside from Ursa. Although Tikaani wasn’t a knight, she was a fighter. It helped that Tikaani had such a huge hand in rescuing her before.

“I want to thank you two for joining us,” Grammi said. “And, Tikaani, we want to thank you for helping us.”

“Yeah,” Sunni said. “If you weren’t there to help Tummi and Gruffi, I would have been a goner.”

Tikaani nodded. “You’re welcome.” She shifted awkwardly in her chair. She kept her head lowered as if embarrassed to make eye contact at the expressions of gratitude. 

“When are they sending you to get the other gummis?” Gruffi had picked up on her uneasiness. He thought it might be best to change the subject. 

“They’re not sure now,” she said. “They’re waiting to see what happens with King Gregor.”

“They don’t have to worry about King Gregor,” Sunni said. “I know everyone here will love him just like they love Calla.”

“Yeah, and he’s a great king,” Cubbi added. “Everything’s gonna be fine.”

Tikaani frowned. “Things are not always that simple. There’s more to it than if King Gregor is nice. Being a good person isn’t always enough.”

“But why wouldn’t that be enough?” Sunni asked.

“Politics always complicate things,” Tikaani said. “You can’t always say what you truly feel to everyone, even if you have the best intentions. Even good-hearted leaders hide their true feelings because of that.”

“Except for maybe Vice Chancellor Ours,” Kaia said. “He might be the only one who will always say what’s on his mind or, I should say, he bellows what’s on his mind.”

Tikaani glanced at Kaia briefly. “He is usually honest,” she said. “But I wouldn’t say that’s true of anyone else, including Chancellor Berrybaum. Everyone keeps their real thoughts closely guarded. Even when they’re not lying, they’re not always telling the truth.”

Zummi knitted his brows as he listened. “You make the council sound so dishonest.”

“Dishonest is a strong word,” Kaia said. “Let’s call them politicians.”

“New Gumbrea is not like the stories you’ve read,” Tikaani said. “Gummis may not be as bad as humans can be, but we have our problems. We could be the ones to make the mistake that ruins everything.”

“So… you don’t think there’ll be an alliance?” Cubbi could feel his heart sink. He hoped he was misunderstanding her.

“I can’t say for certain there won’t be one,” Tikaani said. “I just don’t know if there will be or what might happen afterward. It doesn’t take much for these things to go wrong. All it might take is a perceived slight or someone like Lady Bloodberry to upset the whole thing.”

“Lady Bloodberry was an isolated incident.” Gruffi shook his head. He had more faith in the Great Gummis than that. She was nothing more than a bad egg that threatened to spoil the bunch if they let her. “The Great Gummis can be trusted to do the right thing. We should be more worried about the humans. They’re more likely to turn on us.”

“The humans are a bigger threat, yes,” Tikaani agreed. “But things are different now. The Great Gummis aren’t what they used to be, if they ever were what those old books claim. I know I’m newer to the community – and so is Kaia – but what I think we’re seeing is the aftermath of an entire species forced into hiding. The gummis in this country were nearly wiped out. That kind of bitterness doesn’t just disappear over an alliance with one kingdom. Some of that bitterness and distrust has even been internalized. They’re not as open with their feelings as your family is.”

Gruffi was a little bit taken aback by that. This was not the picture he had paint of the Great Gummis. “Maybe they just need some time,” he theorized. “Like the Great Gummis always said, the gummi way always prevails.”

Tikaani gave a slight frown, but said nothing. The conversation turned to more cheerful things, but Tikaani’s words lingered in the back of their minds. Tikaani said very little the rest of the night. She spoke when others addressed her, but rarely interjected on her own. When the evening came to a close and they saw their guests to the door, Gruffi stepped outside with her.

“About what you said in there,” he began. “Have the Great Gummis really changed so much?”

Tikaani nodded. “You’re upset.” Her tone of voice didn’t convey much sympathy, but Gruffi felt it was her attempt to reach out to him.

Gruffi looked over his shoulder. The others had headed back inside without him except for Gusto and Kaia who had left moments prior. He turned to face Tikaani again. “This just isn’t what I expected the return of the Great Gummis to be like. Ever since I was a cub, I studied everything the Great Gummis taught us. I thought finally having them home would mean….”

“That you would be able to live out a childhood dream of living among your heroes.”

Gruffi was quiet. She had a way of being a little too blunt with her thoughts. Tikaani broke eye contact with him to stare down at the cobblestone street beneath them. “Things rarely live up to our childhood fantasies. That’s the price of aging. The scars of the past don’t heal so easily and theirs are still showing.” Tikaani lifted her head to study his face. “But time heals everything. If this alliance goes well, it might be what we need to get back to how we were.”

Gruffi was sure she wouldn’t have said that had he not looked like a kicked dog. She was blunt, but she wasn’t heartless. This was her attempt at a pep talk. “I hope so,” he said. “I don’t want to see gummis treating each other like the enemy over what humans did.”

“I think Lady Bloodberry hasn’t helped.”

“Yeah, but that lady’s a nutcase,” he said.

Tikaani gave a half-hearted nod. “I suppose,” she said. “It’s late. I should go. For the sake of Ursalia and your childhood dream, I hope King Gregor wins them over like Sunni said.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Goodnight, Gruffi.”

“Night.”

Gruffi watched as Tikaani disappeared into the night. Her words were tough to hear. It was in that moment he realized he’d been expecting nothing short of a utopian society from the Great Gummis.  Even now he wasn’t sure if he believed she wasn’t exaggerating a little. Kaia was the one to make things more dramatic than they really were though; Tikaani was the sort to be forthright about anything and everything.

When the night chill started to be too much for the bear, he finally retreated inside.

* * *

No one in the palace knew why the king wanted complete privacy. His throne room had been cleared. The guards were allowed to stand just outside the doors and entrance ways, but they were forbidden from stepping inside unless the king called for them. The king sat in his throne as he awaited his guest. King Gregor wasn’t even entirely sure what to expect. He had received a note in his chambers that the gummis requested an audience with him. He could only assume it was connected to his meeting with the young bear.

Just as the Glens had said, King Gregor could be trusted. The note had requested that they would be completely alone for their first meeting. It had asked for the king to clear out the throne room on the twenty-second of September in order for a meeting to occur. If the demands had been followed, the gummis would come to him.

It was a difficult wait. There was an anxiety and excitement within him that he’d never felt before.  His life was becoming entangled with creatures he had believed to be mythology. It was far too long a wait for his liking. When the boredom became too much, he began to entertain himself with various objects about the room. He was about to give up when he finally heard a voice calling out to him.

“Your highness?”

King Gregor turned to see Chancellor Berrybaum standing on the carpet leading to the throne. He wasn’t sure how he’d missed the bear’s entrance, but he was pleased. Standing tall, King Gregor made his way back to his throne. It was a bit undignified to receive a guest in such a manner. He only hoped the gummi would understand. He didn’t seem to be annoyed. Chancellor Berrybaum kept a stoic countenance. 

“Greetings,” King Gregor said. “May I ask who I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

“I am Chancellor Berrybaum,” he said. He gave a bow to the king. “I am the leader of the gummis of Ursalia.”

“It is an honor to meet you.” King Gregor watched the bear a moment. “I still can’t believe you’re real.”

He smiled. King Gregor was relieved to see some true emotion on the bear’s face. “Then our efforts to hide were successful.”

“The child I met,” Gregor said. “I assume he’s why you’re here.”

“He is.”

“Is he safe?”

Berrybaum chuckled. “He’s safe. He’s with his family now.”

“He isn’t in any trouble?”

“You’re very worried about the boy,” Berrybaum said. It was touching. “He isn’t in trouble. It was an accident and maybe one that will lead to an alliance.”

“You wish to ally with the Kingdom of Dunwyn?” Gregor sounded like an excited child. This was an accomplishment he would have once thought impossible. He’d believed gummi bears to be nothing but a work of fiction.

“I feel it would be in our best interest after everything that’s happened,” Berrybaum said. “However, I must be honest with you and say that some of the gummis have doubts about this alliance.”

“If everything I had heard is true, I can understand,” Gregor said. “We’ve had a rough history together.”

“That is putting it lightly, your highness,” he said. “It’s because of that trepidation that I must beg your patience. This is an alliance to be eased into.”

“What do you need of me?” Gregor felt he owed them his kindness for all the past grievances they had suffered. It was understandable that they would doubt humans, but gummis were often painted as trustworthy and reliable creatures. He did not feel as if he had to be on high alert.

“You cannot tell everyone of our existence,” he began. “We must slowly reveal ourselves. You may only tell those who serve and live within the castle. Your knights and your staff may know, but they must never breathe a word about us. Do you believe your staff is trustworthy enough for that?”

“I do.”

Berrybaum nodded. “Those are our demands. We will come forward to the rest of the kingdom when the time is right.”

“When will the time be right?”

“I don’t know.” Berrybaum paused. “I’ve been told you’re a very honest man and it seems to be true. May I be honest with you?”

“You may.”

“This is something we have never had to navigate before,” he began. “We’re simply playing it by ear.”

Gregor gave a friendly grin. “So am I.”

Berrybaum smiled. “I thought it best that we have a banquet. You, your family and your most trusted lords and ladies are invited to Ursalia for a feast. It will mark the beginning of our alliance and we will officially sign a treaty. You will be escorted by some of our own knights if that is acceptable to you.”

“It is.” King Gregor had to fight every urge to allow his childlike excitement shine through. It was if he were a boy again, living out a childhood daydream of being in the presence of gummis. It was a boyhood fantasy come to life, but it would have been embarrassing to reveal that. It could even be potentially insulting to treat it as if he were befriending a storybook character.

“Then on the twenty-fifth of September we will have a banquet in Ursalia in honor of our alliance,” he said. “From there, we will iron out the details.”

“Excellent, Chancellor Berrybaum,” King Gregor said. “I do appreciate you coming here and I look forward to our future alliance.”

Berrybaum nodded. Confident that the king’s men were growing more impatient with the king being closed off in his throne room, Berrybaum did not prolong his stay. He remained regale as he bid the king farewell and disappeared from the king’s sight. He did not want Gregor to have a clear view of his escape hatch. Trust could only be given out in small doses at a time. He knew that humans could come back into their lives if they were careful. It would take a lot of work, but he had faith they could mend the burnt bridges. 

King Gregor was going to be the key to healing the past.

* * *

“The king demanded everything be perfect for tonight.”

“Did he say why?”

“No, he just said make a special meal. It sounds like everyone will be there. The Lord Chamberlain has already arrived.”

“Huh.” The sous chef shook his head in confusion. He focused on the task at hand instead of questioning the head chef further. The kitchen was alive with bodies moving about with plates of food. The staff was preparing to serve the lords and ladies of the Kingdom of Dunwyn.  He had called a sudden meeting and no one knew why, including his own daughter, Princess Calla.

“King Gregor said he wanted the servants present too.” One of the kitchen maids had been helping with the preparation of foods.

“Ugh, I just don’t want to have to see the Countess of Shrewsbury,” said another kitchen maid. “That woman is intolerable.” 

“Don’t let her hear you say that,” the sous chef said. “She’ll have you fired.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said. “It’s just a shame Sir Gawain couldn’t make it tonight. I always love those gummi stories of his!”

Brome listened to the obnoxious gossip from his place in the shadows. He clutched the vial Lady Bloodberry had given him to his chest. He waited for his chance to fulfill his duty to her; he refused to let her down. Lady Bloodberry had entrusted him with making sure King Gregor drank its contents. As an executive decision, he decided it would be best to pour it into the soup that would be served to everyone. It was difficult with so many people scurrying about.

Brome had to move carefully toward the pot whenever he was given an opening. It was easier thanks to how distracted the staff was. They were more focused on their small talk and the more demanding dishes. He still had to be careful. If he were too reckless, they would have seen him for sure. No one could have been so distracted that they would completely ignore a bugbear running around the room. He moved quickly when he saw his window of opportunity. Rushing to the bubbling soup, he poured the contents of the vial in. He wasn’t sure what the potion Lady Bloodberry had concocted would do, but he trusted her to know what she was doing. When the vial was empty, he heard footsteps coming his way. He quickly hid underneath a nearby table to wait for his chance to escape. 

He wasn’t given a chance until the food was starting to be served. They began by pouring soup into bowls to take out to the lords and ladies gathered around the table. Brome’s patience was severely tested. The wait staff had left the kitchen mostly empty when they took the food out to the king and his guests. It was when only the head chef and sous chef were left that he saw the chance to escape. Finding a nearby window, Brome took his leave to return to Yorkenshire to give Lady Bloodberry the good news.

Out in the dining hall, the guests were enjoying the soup. All of them were unaware of what Brome had poured into it. The flavorless potion that Lady Bloodberry had created was undetectable in the gode broth. The usual chatter among the elites of Dunwyn commenced until King Gregor called for their attention. They turned their eyes to their king to listen to whatever he had to say.

“I want to thank you all for meeting me on such short notice,” King Gregor said. “All of you are my trusted friends and comrades.  Today I ask a very big favor of all of you. I am in the middle of creating an alliance.”

“Are we on speaking terms with the Kingdom of Jalind again?” Anne Hardwick, the Countess of Shrewsbury, asked. 

“I’m not speaking of Jalind,” Gregor said. “We’ll deal with them at another time. This is a different… I don’t know if I could call them a kingdom.”

Calla could barely contain her excitement at those words. She was all too aware of who her father spoke of. The meeting must have been a success if her father was having this discussion with them. She had to be careful not to let on that she already knew. She would have to tell her father about her prior knowledge of the gummis later when things were much calmer.

“I’m confused,” said Margaret Carey, Countess of Longford. “If they aren’t a kingdom, who are they?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he said. “Instead I want to take all of you to a banquet to meet with them. We will explain everything then. I know I’m asking a lot of all of you with this, but I ask this as a friend and not as your king.”

Silence fell over the table as the lords and ladies processed the king’s request. Sir Tuxford was the first to speak. “Of course you can rely on us, your highness,” he said. “You have our unwavering loyalty.”

“I agree,” Countess Hardwick said. “Besides I’m curious to see these mysterious allies of yours, your highness. I’ve always said the monotony of life in Dunwyn could use a little more intrigue.”

“I’m sorry if this kingdom bores you so, Countess.” The sarcasm in Tuxford’s voice couldn’t be missed.

“It’s never boring with you around, Sir Tuxford,” she said. “You always have some boar headed stunt to entertain us wi…” 

Countess Hardwick brought a hand up to her head. Her face contorted as she leaned forward and shut her eyes to shield them from the light. All eyes rested on her in concern. Even Sir Tuxford couldn’t help but worry about the woman’s health.

“Countess Hardwick, are you alright?” King Gregor asked.

“Yes, I just… it’s a bit of a headache. It came on rather suddenly.” She gave a pained laugh. “It’s the effect Sir Tuxford has on me, I suppose.”

“Perhaps you should head to bed,” King Gregor said. “No one will hold it against you if you turn in early.”

“Thank you, your highness.” The countess rose from her seat as a servant girl helped her to her room. 

“Father, my head is starting to hurt, too….” Princess Calla felt a throbbing pain on both sides of her head. It was unlike any headache she’d ever had. The light was suddenly hard to take and a slight feeling of nausea was coming over her. “I think I need to go to bed, too.”

“Of course, Calla…”

It wasn’t long after Calla that the rest of the guests began to complain of headaches. The servants hurried about to try and help the lords and ladies to a place of rest. When the king fell ill, there was a very real fear that the food had been poisoned. King Gregor was being helped to his room by a small servant boy. In his current state, the King wasn’t able to remember his name. He was far too focused on the throbbing pain in his skull.

“Your highness, you don’t believe this was an attempt on your life, do you?” The scared servant boy was devoid of tact in his question. King Gregor didn’t hold it against him.

“No, I don’t…” King Gregor winced. “It might just be that some of the food was spoiled. I’m sure we’ll be better in the morning.”

The king retreated to his room with the servant boy’s guidance. He rejected the boy’s offer to help him further. He closed the door to his bedroom and didn’t bother to light a candle. He wanted total darkness. Like the other guests, he had become too sensitive to any speck of light. He simply shed his outer layer of clothing and crawled into his bed to try and sleep off the pain. It was hours before he was finally able to fall asleep.

* * *

“Hurry up, Tummi!”

“Cubbi, calm down.” Grammi understood why Cubbi was so eager to get going, but he was getting a bit too bossy for Grammi’s liking. “We’re not going to miss anything in the next five minutes.”

King Gregor was being escorted to Ursalia as they spoke. Cubbi feared that the king would arrive any minute with the nobles and knights of Dunwyn. It was a risky decision that not everyone in Ursalia was feeling confident about. Cubbi knew that King Gregor would soon change their minds with his kind nature. King Gregor was one of the most respectable humans they had ever known. The Barbics had been among the most vocal in their opposition to the decision, but Chancellor Berrybaum had pressed how terribly it could go if an alliance was not formed. The king already knew of their existence and the only option they had was to do whatever form of damage control was available to them.

Sunni had beaten the rest of her family to the Great Hall. She’d been awake since sunrise helping to set up. Buddi worked alongside her to help decorate and prepare the Great Hall for guests. Gruffi had grudgingly noted how he could never get her up so early to do her daily chores. Gruffi’s griping was a cover for his nerves. Although he knew the king was a good man, he kept repeating all of Tikaani’s warnings in his mind. Sunni was far too distracted decorating to even think about what could go wrong.

“If things go really well, Calla said she’d make me a handmaiden!”

“Wouldn’t that mean you’d have to live in the castle?” 

“I guess so,” Sunni said. “But I’d be able to visit all the time and you could all come see me.”

Buddi frowned. He was all too aware of how important the position of handmaiden would be to Sunni, but he didn’t look forward to the idea of her leaving everyone else behind.  “You promise to not forget about us?”

“How could I forget about any of you?”

Buddi shrugged. “Sometimes people forget.”

“Well, I won’t,” Sunni promised. “All of you mean too much to me for that.”

It didn’t do much to settle Buddi’s nerves although it was better than nothing. Sunni was a spirited girl with a mind of her own. Even if he were to try talking her out of it, he wouldn’t have had any luck. It wasn’t that he wanted to rob the opportunity from her.  He was just afraid they would grow apart if she were to permanently reside at Dunwyn.  He could see how important this was to her and he was sure it would mean good things for the gummis. They would have one of their own in a high ranking position at the castle. It wasn’t a done deal though, he realized. They would all worry about that if it happened.

“Sunni!” Cubbi called to his surrogate sister. “They’re here!”

Sunni hurried to the front door to peer out. The humans were approaching. As they agreed beforehand, they had been blindfolded so that they wouldn’t know the way without a guide. Chancellor Berrybaum had sent one of his own soldiers to lead them to Ursalia. When they stood before the gates, the guide began to remove their blindfolds. 

The lords and ladies that stood before the city wall were in awe of what they saw. The amazement didn’t leave their faces as they were ushered inside. Sunni giggled a bit when she saw even Calla was awestruck. The princess had never been given a chance to see Ursalia in all its glory. It had been too risky to pull the princess away long enough. Her absence would have been noticed far too easily. Sunni stepped out of the Great Hall to watch Berrybaum approach their guests.

“Welcome to Ursalia, your highness.” He politely bowed to the king. “I speak for everyone when I say we are honored to have you as our guest.”

King Gregor was silent. He stared out at the crowd of gummi faces gathering around to investigate. His eyes flickered back to Chancellor Berrybaum. Sunni waited for King Gregor’s response with baited breath. He must have been taking everything in. It had been a lot for the Glens and she could only imagine how much it was for humans.

“Men,” Gregor spoke suddenly. His voice was booming and far more threatening than ever before. “Attack!”


End file.
